The Dance of Darkness
by Chopper Joe
Summary: To compensate for his quirk weaknesses, Tokoyami takes up martial arts. Insecurities are revealed, limits are broken, and Tokoyami must rely on the support of his friends, mentors, and even his own quirk. In addition, Fumikage has set his sights on an old opponent for a rematch. Armed with a new technique and an iron will, he plans on giving Bakugou the fight of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**In celebration of the Tokotober Prompt Contest sponsored by Traditional Twist (check out his stuff btw, he's awesome), I have decided to participate. This is following the "Tokoyami takes up Martial Arts and creates his own technique" prompt. I'll try to do weekly posts. No idea how long this thing is gonna be.**

 **Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy!**

The Dance of Darkness

To his classmates, Tokoyami never came off as someone impulsive or overly ambitious. Calm, collected, and a man of few words, the teen exalted a presence of cool-headedness and politeness, despite his occasional yet undoubtedly defined gothic dialect. He didn't seem like the kind who took insults and injuries too personally and may even look down on those who did, if he ever had reason to.

However, despite this neutral and unemotional attitude, Tokoyami had an incredibly hard time getting over his own failures. Whenever he came out short in anything, Tokoyami struggled with forgiving himself. He never showed this of course, and nobody would have guessed it, as he hated the idea of moping and self-pitying. As a result, he never shared this self-deprecating attitude with anyone, not even his mentors like Hawks and Aizawa. The only one who knew about it was his own quirk, but that wouldn't last forever.

Tokoyami made his way down the forest pathway as a cool, soft breeze blew against his feathers. He tucked his hands deep into his hoodie pockets to ignore the late evening chill. It was around 8:00pm, and the sun had begun going down. It was already past curfew hours. Tokoyami knew if he got caught like Midoriya or Bakugou, he'd be cleaning the dorms for weeks. However, he was willing to take the risk. He needed more training, and the dorm gym certainly wasn't an option.

The twilight skyline cast a radiant glow that left Tokoyami gazing in admiration. The sounds of chirping crickets and cooing owls signaled the late evening atmosphere. His trance was broken by Dark Shadow's restlessness.

" _Can I come out already?"_ the spirit whined from within, _"The sun's going down!"_

" _Not until we're farther out,"_ Tokoyami answered, _"When we reach the lake, we can begin."_

Dark Shadow let out a whimper and vanished. Tokoyami took a deep breath through his nose and continued walking. When they made it to the lake, he took off his hoodie to reveal a long-sleeved sweatshirt. Dark Shadow emerged from his back and let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, much better!" he laughed, "And almost no light to hold me back."

"Keep your voice down," Tokoyami looked back down the path they'd walked as he set a few lanterns down on the ground, "We don't Aizawa Sensei catching us out here."

"Oh c'mon, we've been doing this for almost a month now," the shadow looked at his master with crossed arms, "We haven't even had a close call yet."

"Yes, because we've been extra careful."

Tokoyami reached back and pulled a small red book out from his back pocket. About a month ago, Tokoyami had approached Midoriya looking for advice. Knowing he had taken tons of hero notes on all of Class 1-A, Tokoyami figured he could offer the best input for improvement. After trudging through all the green-heads needless praise for his quirk, Tokoyami finally got to the weaknesses. Midoriya suggested that learning basic self-defense might help focus Tokoyami in battle, as well as give him a back up plan if Dark Shadow wasn't an option. He also suggested that Dark Shadow could make for a good training partner if Tokoyami had nobody else, which was advice Tokoyami had taken to heart. Shortly after, Izuku handed him this book during lunch, saying it contained a series of mixed martial arts that he had been studying. At first Tokoyami declined, saying he didn't want to interrupt Midoriya's training by taking away his source of knowledge. But Midoriya insisted, saying he was more focused on gaining control of his quirk anyway.

He flipped to the bookmarked page and Dark Shadow floated next to him to read along.

"So, what's on the list today?" he asked, "Punching? Kicking? Blocking?"

"Counter-striking looks like," Tokoyami said, "I guess that means you'll have to participate beyond being a punching bag."

"Aw, and I was just starting to get good at it!" the shadow spoke sarcastically and laughed, "What do I have to do?"

"Just jab me once. I'll block and deliver two-fold in quick succession."

"Alright, this'll be interesting!" Dark Shadow slammed his fists together.

The two spent the rest of the night practicing. They started out easy with Dark Shadow delivering slow and predictable punches and went from there. By 10:00pm, despite the ever-dropping temperature, Tokoyami had accumulated such a high volume of sweat that he removed his sweatshirt and trained bare chested. The small lanterns illuminated his shiny, sweat moisturized skin with a blue glow. Dark Shadow had begun throwing three lightning fast punches at random every time they started. Tokoyami blocked and countered the first two with a single jab. On the third, he smacked the punch away and delivered a series of quick punches, followed by a left chop to the neck and ending with a strong right elbow. The duo repeated this exchange again and again until Tokoyami was gasping for air, arms bruised all over. Dark Shadow grinned at him, stronger than ever with no signs of depleting endurance. The growing night only made him more powerful, and only the lanterns kept him slightly at bay. He loved this training more than his master. It allowed him more time outside Tokoyami, and in the dark night at that. He enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he failed to notice the troubling thoughts and memories running through his master's head.

"You're still going easy on me," Tokoyami panted, "You need to turn up your strength."

"If I turn it up anymore, I'll seriously hurt you," the shadow crossed his arms, "I think we should call it a night."

"No, we're not done yet. Come at me again, double strength."

Dark Shadow's grin vanished, replaced by a concerned look.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked, "I'd break every bone you-

"That's an order Dark Shadow!" Fumikage yelled, "I'm your master, now come at me!"

Dark Shadow floated back, caught off by Tokoyami's sudden fury.

"Ok, now you're the one yelling," he said, "Seriously, what's gotten into you?"

"Stop giving me shit and just do as I say!"

"I'm not gonna hurt you, with or without your orders. Why are you so angry at me?"

"MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T ACTING LIKE SUCH A PUSSY-ASS COWARD, I WOULDN'T BE ANGRY AT YOU!" Tokoyami screamed at the top of his lungs, "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

As soon as he'd said it, Tokoyami's eyes widened with disbelief. Dark Shadow stared at his master, mouth agape in utter shock and silence.

Tokoyami looked at the ground, gasping for air. He fell on his butt, using his arms to support himself.

"I…I'm sorry," Tokoyami covered his head with both arms in shame, "I have no idea where that came from."

"Really? Cause it sounded like you were possessed by Explosions McPsycho for a second there," Dark Shadow floated over to his master, scratching his chin.

"I…was just thinking about him, that's all." Tokoyami gripped his knees and hid his face, "I'm so sorry Dark Shadow. Let's just go back to the dorms."

"I don't think people imitate others when they think about them," Dark Shadow floated right next to his master, "This is something else. Is it because we lost to him at the the tournament?"

Tokoyami said nothing.

"Because if it is," Dark Shadow continued with a large smile, "We were weaker back then. But we've grown much stronger! Heck, I'm sure if we fought him again-

"We'd lose outright, just like before." Tokoyami interrupted.

Dark Shadow's smile disappeared. Tokoyami lifted his head from his knees.

"You know, if I was captured instead of him back in the forest," he began, "I wouldn't have lasted ten seconds with those villains. They would've broken me, thrown me away or-

"Stop saying stuff like that," Dark Shadow chimed in, "And stop comparing yourself to that spikey blond-haired maniac."

"He's stronger than me," Tokoyami buried his face again, "So much stronger."

"Oh, come on, "Dark Shadow put a hand over his eyes, "He shouldn't even be on your measuring stick, and you know that! Ask anyone in class, and I guarantee they'd much rather team up with you than him."

"But if you asked who'd win in a 1v1 fight-

"That shouldn't be the goal."

"It _is_ my goal," Tokoyami looked up with fury in his eyes, "I'll make up for what happened at the tournament, and at the forest. I'll train more and more, and then I'll show him the power of Eternal Darkness, the might of Tsukuyomi, the Jet-Black Hero!"

Dark Shadow was at a loss of words. He had no idea what to say. This was completely out of character for his master. To see him sink so low to the point of holding a grudge against someone like Bakugou was almost heartbreaking. Suddenly, a voice called out from the forest behind them.

"Since when did the Jet-Black Hero possess such petty vendettas?"

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow both jumped and turned. Aizawa sensei stood at the end of the path on the edge of the forest with his arms crossed. Tokoyami's face blushed violently.

"S-sensei! I…um…." He stuttered for a moment before letting his arms and head down in defeat, "Alright, you got me. I'll accept my punishment in full."

"After what I just witnessed, that's the least of my worries," Aizawa walked over to him, "I'm a teacher first and a disciplinary second."

Tokoyami looked up at him for a moment. Aizawa's intense gaze caused him to look away. Right now, he almost preferred the punishment. Dark Shadow looked back and forth between them both without saying a word.

"Dark Shadow, return."

Dark Shadow obeyed without a word of protest. Slowly, Tokoyami looked back up at his master. Aizawa didn't look furious, or even disappointed. If anything, he looked somewhat saddened.

"How…how much did you hear?" Tokoyami asked.

"Everything," Aizawa answered, "I've been watching the whole night."

Tokoyami let out a small gasp.

"Did you really think you were evading me all this time? I've been keeping an eye on you every night. The only reason I never intervened was because you were using the extra time for training. But I couldn't leave you alone either. Otherwise I'd be a bad guardian and a bad hero."

Tokoyami blinked a few times before his expression changed to one of guilt. His head dropped again.

"I see…" he mumbled.

"But after your little episode there, I could no longer sit on the sidelines," Aizawa sat down on the ground and prompted Tokoyami to do the same, "What's on your mind, Tokoyami? Why is defeating Bakugou your top priority as a hero?"

Tokoyami said nothing, struggling to find an answer.

"It's more than just the tournament and the forest," Aizawa crossed his arms, "I've noticed it more and more now. Over the past month, you've been acting like Bakugou when you train with Dark Shadow. More level-headed and calm of course, until tonight. It's as if you've subconsciously adopted his style and behavior. Not just with the martial arts, either. I spoke to Hawks. He says you've been more…aggressive out in the field."

Tokoyami clenched his fists and bowed his head, shutting his eyes tight.

"Forgive me, Aizawa sensei," he said, "To sink down to his level is disgraceful."

"What are you talking about?" Aizawa smiled, "Because of it, you've trained and fought harder this past month than perhaps any other."

Tokoyami looked up at his teacher with a confused expression.

"You're saying it's a good thing I'm acting like him?"

"To a certain extent," Aizawa nodded, "Of course, you must not adopt his short-temperedness or his disagreeableness. However, my greater concern is your motivation. Are you really doing all of this just to become stronger and defeat him? To prove that you're better than him?"

Tokoyami thought about what he had said earlier.

"I believe it was just in the moment," Tokoyami said, "I don't hold a personal grudge against Bakugou, nor do I wish to humiliate him."

"I agree," Aizawa nodded, "That wouldn't be in your character. But the desire is still there, even now, yes?"

Tokoyami nodded.

"So, where do you believe this desire comes from?"

Tokoyami continued to think, but he couldn't come up with a reason. Finally, Dark Shadow emerged from his chest and spoke,

"It's because he can't forgive himself."

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami exclaimed.

"If you're not gonna tell him, I will," he looked back at his master with a sly smile, "I'm sick and tired of being the only one to put up with your secret guilt complex. It's obnoxious."

Tokoyami stammered for a moment, before sighing in defeat.

"You're right," he said in a low tone, "I have no more excuses."

"Can't forgive yourself?" Aizawa asked while Dark Shadow retracted back into Tokoyami, "What do you mean?"

"I have an incredibly hard time getting over my failures," Tokoyami interlocked his fingers, "In particular, my defeat at the tournament and loss of control in the forest."

"And so, you've brought yourself to believe that defeating Bakugou will somehow make up for these failures?"

"I suppose that's one way of putting it." Tokoyami nodded.

"I see," Aizawa put a hand underneath his chin, "The tournament makes sense, but why the forest as well? Bakugou helped suppress your-

Aizawa paused and smiled.

"Ah, I see. It's because you had to rely on his power to maintain control?"

"Yes, further reinforcing my inferiority and his superiority," Tokoyami nodded, "Honestly, that's bothered me _more_ than the tournament."

"But Todoroki counters your power as well."

"Yes, but we've never fought. Although I desperately want to. He's second on my list."

"Oh?" Aizawa's grin widened, "You have a hitlist now?"

"No!" Tokoyami exclaimed, "Well, not really. It's just those two, I promise."

Aizawa nodded and stood up, offering a hand to Tokoyami.

"Way I see it, you need to approach your challenges with the right perspective," Aizawa said, "If you've made Bakugou and Todoroki your thresholds, understand why. If you fight them trying to make up for past failures, you're doing it for the wrong reason. So, come up with a new one, or change your goals."

"Understood sensei," Tokoyami bowed, "Thank you."

"Also, from now on, I will be directly observing and participating in your extra training," Aizawa said, "To make sure you don't push yourself too far."

"You're gonna let us continue?"

"Yes, but only under my watch. You try sneaking out again on your own, I won't condone it." Aizawa turned and began walking back towards the path, "Let's head back. It's well past your bedtime, and I'm freezing."

Tokoyami grabbed his sweatshirt and hoodie and quickly threw them on. He grabbed the lanterns on the ground and lightly jogged to catch up with Aizawa.

"Oh, you're also cleaning and scrubbing the dorms for the next three days," Aizawa smiled at him, "I can't forgive your infractions completely."

"Yes sir," Tokoyami nodded with a smile of his own. He would've been fine with three weeks. Knowing Aizawa would be helping him train was the more than enough to make up for any chores. He wished he'd asked him from the beginning.

"One more thing." Aizawa said.

"What is it sensei?"

"If something's bothering you, never keep it from me, Hawks, or the other teachers, understood?" Aizawa eyed him intensely, "We're on your side Tokoyami. Nothing makes a villain faster than a conflicted student cooped up alone with his thoughts and struggles."

"I understand," Tokoyami nodded, "thank you."

"And get your arms wrapped up," Aizawa added, "Those are some nasty bruises."


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, I PROBABLY should've studied for my test rather than work on this...ah, it's fine. I've got a few more days.**

 **I'm starting to see where this story is going. There will probably be three or four more chapters, possibly more, depending on how much I want to do. Your guys's encouragement is a great motivator, and I'm glad to see people are liking the story!**

When they reached the dorm, Aizawa and Tokoyami split and headed towards their own rooms. Before he could reach the elevator, Tokoyami stopped. He grunted and grabbed his forearms. The adrenaline from before had begun wearing off, and the bruises were taking their toll. He swore and turned around, making his way to the common area. He opened the emergency first-aid box next to the doorway and grabbed a roll of bandages.

 _"Is that really necessary?"_ Dark Shadow asked while Tokoyami turned on one of the lights, _"Just go to the infirmary."_

 _"I don't want to bug them,"_ Tokoyami walked over and sat down on the couch, _"I can handle this myself."_

Dark Shadow huffed from within but said nothing. Tokoyami grabbed his hoodie and carefully lifted it over his head, taking a deep breath as pain shot all the way down his arms. He let out a satisfied sigh as he finally pulled it off and set it aside. Now came the hard part. Tokoyami took a deep breath while he pulled up his sweatshirt sleeves.

Purple and black bruises scattered his arms all the way past his elbows. His arms shook violently and felt as if they had been stung by a thousand needles. He couldn't believe he had pushed himself this hard without noticing.

"Tokoyami?" a voice called out.

Fumikage looked up at the doorway. Midoriya stood there with a hand on the rim, holding an empty glass. He stared half-shocked at the teens bludgeoned arms. Despite being in such a vulnerable position, Tokoyami was glad he wasn't alone. Midoriya walked over to him.

"Wow, that looks pretty bad," Midoriya spoke softly as he knelt next to Tokoyami, still staring at his arms, "Did you do this to yourself?"

"It's not a big deal," Tokoyami hissed in pain and threw his head back, "Although it _does_ hurt to move them right now. I hate asking this, but can you help bandage them up? I don't want to go to the infirmary."

Midoriya thought for a moment before standing up.

"Hang on, I'll be right back."

Midoriya turned around and left the room. He came back with Yaoyorozu, who was dressed in all red pajamas. The black-haired girl gasped when she saw Tokoyami's bruises.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Momo marched over and gently grabbed Tokoyami's arms, inspecting them closely.

"I took after Midoriya and decided to torture my limbs with my quirk," Tokoyami let out a small laugh, but grunted as Momo caressed his arms.

"You mean Dark Shadow did this, ribbit?"

Tokoyami's eyes opened at the familiar voice. He looked and saw to frog eyes staring at him from the doorway next to Midoriya.

"Asui?" Tokoyami sounded surprised.

"Hey Tokoyami," the frog girl spoke as she stepped through the doorway, "I was playing cards with Momo when Midoriya got us. He said you were hurt, so I decided to tag along."

Momo finished feeling around his arms.

"I don't think anything's broken, but you should probably get an X-ray tomorrow," she whipped a container of ointment from her sleeve and pulled off the lid, "If it's really just bruises, this should help."

"Thank you Yaoyorozu," Tokoyami looked at the others while she began applying the ointment, "You two can go now. I think we can handle the rest."

Midoriya and Tsuyu didn't move. Instead, they just looked at each other nervously. Tokoyami's smile disappeared.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Tokoyami," Midoriya spoke with a neutral, but serious voice, "I was talking with Tsuyu about it on the way here, and she agrees. We're worried about you."

Tokoyami held his composure, but he felt butterflies in his stomach. He cleared his throat, trying to act natural.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

They both walked over and sat on the couch, Midoriya next to Tokoyami and Tsuyu next to Momo.

"Well, to put it bluntly, you've been acting really weird lately," Tsuyu said, "You've always been a quiet guy, but you haven't talked to any of us these past few weeks. Also, during practice, you seem way more intense, like you're constantly on edge or something."

Midoriya nodded in agreement. Tokoyami looked at Momo.

"Have you noticed this as well?" he asked.

"Everyone's noticed it," Momo put the ointment away and grabbed the bandages from Tokoyami, "Especially when you snapped at Kirishima during lunch."

Tokoyami gasped, and the other two nodded.

"Yeah, that's when I knew something was up." Midoriya said.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Tokoyami asked, "When did this-

 _"It was a week ago,"_ Dark Shadow said from within, _"You were studying alone during lunch, and he tried asking you a question."_

Tokoyami put a hand on his forehead and thought back. Come to think of it, he remembered being super stressed one day because he was behind on his training. He was doing homework ahead of time to make up for that.

"Yeah, I kind of remember," Tokoyami nodded, "I was so caught up in my reading, I don't even remember what it was about though. Did I really yell at him?"

"Do you seriously not remember?" Momo glared at him, "He offered you to come sit with him and Bakugou, and you told him to fuck off."

"More like screamed," Midoriya said nervously.

Suddenly, the memory came right back to him. Tokoyami remembered all the details, especially Kirishima's expression after he cussed him out. He also remembered why he'd done it. The moment Kirishima mentioned Bakugou's name, it was almost like a trigger went off in his head. Momo had finished bandaging up his right arm, and Tokoyami rested his forehead on it.

"I completely forgot about that," he mumbled, "I should talk to him."

"Yes, you should," Momo said with sternness as she grabbed his left arm.

Tokoyami let out a low groan as he put his fingers over his eyes.

"A great shroud of darkness has clouded my vision," he said, "My actions are beyond disgraceful. I've fallen so far, and I haven't even noticed. I owe you all an apology."

"It's not like that," Midoriya put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Nobody's upset. We just want to know what's making you act this way. I mean, if it were someone like Bakugou, nobody would pay attention to it. But it's not normal for you."

Tokoyami lifted his hand away and struck a sad smile with his eyes closed.

 _"I guess I really have been acting like him."_ Tokoyami thought to himself, _"I'm surprised you said nothing before, Dark Shadow."_

 _"Honestly, until you screamed at me tonight, I've really enjoyed the change of pace,"_ the spirit said, _"I'm sorry Fumikage. I should've noticed earlier and said something."_

 _"No, this is my fault alone. Aizawa sensei was right. I must change my perspective."_

Momo finished wrapping up his other arm, and Tokoyami carefully moved them around. The pain had already begun to subside.

"I think that ointment's doing the trick," Tokoyami smiled as he looked at his arms.

"Don't move them around too much," Momo stood up and crossed her arms, "Make sure to change your bandages every day. If you need help, come to me or go to the infirmary. And get an x-ray first thing tomorrow morning."

Tokoyami stood up and offered her his hand. She shook it promptly.

"You have my thanks," he smiled, "For everything."

"Get some help if you need to, ok?" she smiled back with soft concern in her eyes, "I know a few counselors I could hook you up with."

Tokoyami nodded. Momo let go of his hand and put it over her mouth, yawning.

"Oh boy, it's so late," she sighed and looked back at Tsuyu, "You still wanna finish our game?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you there."

Momo nodded and walked away. Without hesitation, Tsuyu wrapped her arms around Tokoyami's chest and pulled him in for a tight hug. He gasped lightly as he lifted his arms. Midoriya blushed at their sudden intimacy and looked away in respect.

"We're your friends, Tokoyami," she looked up at the slightly taller student, "You can be a little flawed around us."

Tokoyami blinked a few times before smiling and returning the gesture. He was incredibly thankful she had come. Without a doubt, he respected her more than any other student in class. If anyone could give him affirmation, it was Asui.

"Thank you, Asui," he whispered, "That means a lot coming from you."

She smiled and closed her eyes in an adorable fashion.

"Call me Tsuyu, ribbit."

She let go of him and walked back to the doorway. Midoriya laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"I should probably head to bed as well." he said.

"Actually Midoriya, I was hoping you could stay for a little longer?" Tokoyami asked as he sat back down, "There's some things I wish to speak with you about."

"Oh! Uh, sure ok," Midoriya sat next to him, "What did you want to talk about?"

Tokoyami pulled out the red book and showed it to Midoriya.

"I've been using it to practice every night," Tokoyami said.

"I see," Midoriya grabbed the book and looked at the blank cover, "So that's why your arms were so banged up. You've been practicing martial arts."

"And with Dark Shadow, just like you suggested."

"Where have you gotten?"

"I'm about halfway through. Just started the Counter Striking segment."

Midoriya looked at him with widened eyes.

"No way! You already got through the basics?" he asked before looking back at the book, "I never got that far."

"But you know where I am, so you've read the whole book?"

"Yeah, a couple of times actually. It was a gift from one of my teachers."

"Which one?"

"Sorry, but I can't tell you that," Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck, "They wanted me to keep it a secret."

"I understand," Tokoyami nodded, "But would they really be ok if I had this book?"

"Yeah, it should be fine," Midoriya handed the book back to him with a smile, "It's so cool that you've made this much progress. You should show me your skills some time."

"I plan on it," Tokoyami put the book away, "In fact, I plan on showing the whole class."

Midoriya's smile disappeared.

"So, you're doing this for a specific reason then," Midoriya said, "Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, and I want you to keep this a secret," Tokoyami said, "I don't want anyone else knowing except for you and Aizawa until I'm ready."

"Got it," Midoriya nodded.

Tokoyami took a deep breath through his nose as he interlocked his fingers.

"There's another reason I trust you with this, because I think you can relate to it," he looked at Midoriya, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you would consider Bakugou your rival, yes?"

Midoriya didn't say a word. His facial expressions perfectly communicated everything. His head dropped a little, and his eyes and mouth became dead serious.

"You know exactly where this is going, don't you?" Tokoyami asked.

"Yes, and I understand how you feel," Midoriya nodded, "It all makes sense now. That's why you've been acting like him so much. That's why you came to me for help. You're trying to catch up with him. You plan on defeating him."

"Actually, I came to you for help because I knew you could offer the best advice on improvement," Tokoyami explained, "It was just a coincidence Bakugou was also your rival. Everything else was spot on, however."

"But why him specifically?" Midoriya asked.

"Initially, it was out of guilt," Tokoyami looked away, "I thought that if I could just defeat him, I could make up for what happened at the tournament and the villain raid. But that is a weak and counterproductive motivation."

"So, what is your reason now?"

"I do have one, but I wanted to ask you first," Tokoyami looked back at him, "Do you believe this is a worthwhile goal?"

"Yes, absolutely," Midoriya answered without hesitation, "Not only is he arguably the strongest student in our class, but he counters your quirk perfectly. If you defeat him in a one-on-one match, it'll be a huge step closer to mastering your quirk weaknesses. You're already one of the strongest students in our class, so it's not a horribly unmatched fight."

"Greater minds really do think alike." Tokoyami smiled, and Midoriya laughed a little at that, "However, I won't be so bold to say I'm one of the strongest in class. But I won't settle for less, either. Bakugou and Todoroki, they are my thresholds."

"Oh yeah, Todoroki counters your quirk as well," Midoriya put a hand underneath his chin, "Come to think of it, I kind of want to defeat him as well. Man, those guys are both insanely strong."

"Then I guess we've got our work cut out for us," Tokoyami stood up.

"Yeah, looks that way," Midoriya stood up as well.

Tokoyami offered his hand without smiling.

"Let's do our best to overcome them both," he said.

"Right!" Midoriya gripped his hand tightly, "I won't fall behind, Tokoyami!"

They both smiled at each other before walking back to the elevator. While they waited, Midoriya chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"What is it?" Tokoyami asked.

"I was just thinking; wouldn't it be crazy if we teamed up against them both someday?" he looked at Tokoyami.

"Hm, that would be exciting," Tokoyami smiled and closed his eyes, "This is a goal I wish to overcome on my own. But if that day ever did come," Tokoyami looked at Midoriya, still grinning, "I would be proud to fight by your side, Izuku Midoriya."

Midoriya returned the gesture and nodded.

"You're incredibly strong Tokoyami. I would trust you to have my back in any battle."

The elevator door opened, and they both walked in. When they reached their floor, Midoriya stepped out, but Tokoyami paused.

"Ah, I almost forgot," he snapped his fingers and held the door open, "Midoriya, do you know where Kirishima's room is?"

"You want to apologize to him tonight?" Midoriya sounded surprised, "He's probably asleep by now."

"Maybe, but it's worth a shot. If he is slumbering, I will wait until the morning."

"He's a floor below us, second door down on the right."

"Thank you," Tokoyami let go of the door.

Midoriya turned and continued walking, and the elevator door closed. Tokoyami pressed the button for floor two, and the elevator descended. The doors opened again, and Tokoyami made his way down the hall.

When he reached Kirishima's door, he hesitated to knock, not wanting to wake the redhead up.

 _"I could always slip under the door and check."_ Dark Shadow suggested.

Tokoyami didn't like the idea of invading on Kirishima's privacy, but it was better than accidently waking him up."

 _"Alright, but make it quick,"_ Tokoyami said, _"If he's doing something private, respect it."_

 _"What, you mean if he's naked or something?"_ Dark Shadow cackled.

 _"Just hurry up."_ Tokoyami rolled his eyes.

Dark Shadow emerged from his chest and quietly slipped under the door. In a few seconds, he retracted back into his master.

 _"He's up. Doing homework."_

 _"Perfect, then let's make this quick."_

Tokoyami cleared his throat and lifted his hand to knock. A sick feeling in his stomach made him pause at the last second. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was afraid how Kirishima would react after seeing him. Would he even answer the door? Would he give him the cold shoulder?

 _"Stop thinking and just do it already,"_ Dark Shadow said, _"The longer you wait, the worse this'll get."_

Tokoyami straightened up. He swallowed deeply and prepared for the worst. Without further delay, he knocked three times.

"Who is it?" Kirishima called out.

"Tokoyami," his voice cracked, "Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's ok!" Tokoyami heard a chair screech, "Give me second."

Tokoyami heard footsteps approaching the door. The knob turned, and the door swung open. Kirishima stood wearing a pair of long boxers and a white T-shirt. The redhead smiled showing his pointed teeth and waved.

"Yo, Tokoyami! What's going-

The teen stopped and looked in awe at Tokoyami's bandages.

"Whoa, what happened to your arms man? Did you get in a fight?"

"Oh, that's right," Tokoyami began pulling his sleeves down, "Don't worry, it's-

"No, don't cover them up!" Kirishima exclaimed and beamed, "That's so cool! You look like a street fighter now."

Tokoyami blushed a little and smiled.

"Wow, uh…I never thought of it like that."

"Yeah man, you should wear those bandages proudly! Kirishima laughed, "I mean, unless you _have_ to keep them covered. Don't let me stop you there."

"No, no it's fine," Tokoyami kept his sleeves rolled up, now filled with a sense of pride, "Actually, it's probably better I don't keep much pressure on them anyway."

"Sweet! Anyway, what can I do for you my man?" Kirishima crossed his arms, beaming as brightly as ever.

Suddenly, a tidal wave of guilt rushed over Tokoyami. Kirishima didn't even show the slightest bit of anger or discomfort. Clearly, he wasn't holding anything against him, but for some reason, that only served to make Tokoyami feel worse. He had lashed out against someone as friendly and optimistic as this. It really struck a chord at his heart.

"I'm…sorry about what happened last week." Tokoyami bowed his head as he said it.

At first, Kirishima looked confused, but then it got to him.

"Oh, you mean when you cussed at me during lunch?" Kirishima laughed and waved his hand, "It's totally fine dude. You were clearly super stressed, I get it. If anything, I probably shouldn't have approached you in the first place. Besides, I hang out with Bakugou all the time. I'm used to it!"

That was it. That was all Tokoyami could take. This whole night had been a hurricane of startling revelations and wild emotions, and this act of kindness was the straw that broke the camel's back. Without warning, Tokoyami's eyes watered up, and he covered them with his hand. For the past month, he had acted like such a scumbag, and he knew it. He didn't deserve Dark Shadow. He didn't deserve Aizawa Sensei. And he certainly didn't deserve friends like this. Tokoyami couldn't tell if he was mad at himself or blissfully joyful. Kirishima's placed a comforting hand on Tokoyami's shoulder.

"You alright man?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah," Tokoyami choked, "It's just…this has been a really bizarre night."

Kirishima smiled and pulled him in for a hug.

"I haven't been myself recently," tears dripped down Tokoyami's cheeks as he wrapped his arms around Kirishima, "I treated you all like garbage and focused only on my own strength. I...I should be better than that. I don't deserve your kindness."

"Dude, it's ok," Kirishima let out a soft laugh, "We've all been there."

They stood there in silence. Tokoyami's tears subsided, and he let go of Kirishima, wiping his eyes and cheeks.

"So..." Kirishima broke the silence, "You wanna sit with me at lunch tomorrow?"

Tokoyami chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess that doesn't sound so bad.

Kirishima beamed at him. His grin vanished when he looked past Tokoyami's shoulder. Fumikage turned around and gasped.

Bakugou, Kaminari, Ashido, and Sato all stood in their pajamas looking through the doorway. Kaminari and Sato gawped with wide eyes, looking terribly confused. Ashido had her hands over her mouth and looked like she was about to squeal and jump with joy any moment. Bakugou glared at them with bags under his eyes.

"Oh crap," Kirishima whispered before grinning again, "Uh, hey guys! What's up?"

Bakugou closed his eyes. He took a deep breath through his nose.

"What…the fuck…is going on here?" he said under his breath.

"N-nothing man!" Kirishima laughed nervously, "Just helping Tokoyami get through some stuff and-

"IT'S TWELVE FUCKING THIRTY!" Bakugou screamed, causing the other to jump, "NOBODY GIVES A SHIT ABOUT BIRDHEAD'S PROBLEMS! EVERYONE ELSE IS TRYING TO SLEEP! GO THE FUCK TO BED!"

"Damn man!" Sato rubbed the insides or his ears, "You don't have to yell."

"Aw, Tokoyami! That was so cute!" Ashido bounced up and down on her heels, "I've never seen you that emotional before!"

"Yeah, what was _that_ all about?" Kaminari asked, still baffled, "Your eyes are red. Were you crying?"

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Tokoyami initial embarrassment went away, and he simply smiled.

"It's nothing. Just making up for some past sins," he walked past them all, placing a hand on Bakugou's shoulder on the way out, "Sorry for waking you up."

As he made his way down the hall, all five students watched him walk towards the elevator. Every door on the floor had opened with heads poking out.

"Why the hell are people still up?" Jiro asked with an exhausted voice.

Tokoyami paused and looked over his shoulder.

"I apologize for interrupting your sleep, as well as for being an asshole this past month. Hopefully, after this final annoyance, my relationship with you all will improve."

Tokoyami turned and continued walking. He reached the elevator and entered. People continued to stare at him the entire time. Right before the door closed, he smiled and waved, feeling happier than he had been in a long time.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed," Jiro groaned as she closed her door, "Goodnight weirdos."

Other people followed suite, and both Sato and Ashido headed for their rooms.

"Hey Kirishima," Kaminari looked at his friend, "Seriously man, what was that all about?"

"Ah, it's not big deal," Kirishima smiled, "He just had stuff to work through. Anyway, I've got homework to do. Night everyone!"

"Night man," Kaminari said as the redhead closed the door behind him. He then turned and gave Bakugou an annoyed look, "By the way, next time you wanna tell someone to go to bed, don't scream it at the top of your lungs. The kind of ruins the whole purpose."

"Why were his arms wrapped up?"

"Huh?" Kaminari raised an eyebrow at him.

"His arms," Bakugou looked back at him, "They were covered in bandages. Why?"

"Man, I don't freaking know!" Kaminari groaned as he turned around, "Ask Kirishima or something, I don't care. I'm going to bed. Later dude."

Bakugou paid no attention to Kaminari as the blonde went back to his room. He stood alone in the hallway, picturing the intense stare Tokoyami gave him when he touched his shoulder. Those red eyes were burned into Bakugou's mind, as if the birdhead had looked directly into his soul. After roughly thirty seconds, Bakugou turned around and walked back to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Minor Spoiler Warning: As of today, for anyone not caught up with the manga who only watches the anime, I give warning. There is a relatively popular character who made a reappearance in the manga recently, and I don't want anybody caught off guard by his/her reappearance and role in this fanfiction. You've been warned! (note: most people probably already know who it is)**

 **That being said, this is chapter three of my story. Things have gone in a slightly different direction than I initially thought with a subplot being introduced that I hadn't originally planned on, but I liked the idea, so I put it in. I hope you guys like it as well!**

 **Anyway, please enjoy!**

* * *

The next morning, Tokoyami climbed out of bed an hour before his regular wake time and got his arms checked out at the infirmary. The X-rays showed no cracked or broken bones, and the nurse went ahead and replaced his bandages. The bruises had faded significantly, but Tokoyami's arms still ached a bit. The nurse told him to hold off on anymore sparring until the pain went away, and Tokoyami thanked her. On his way out of the infirmary, he got a text from Aizawa sensei.

 **Aizawa: We're gonna hold off on the training for the next three nights so you can finish your chores. Take it easy at practice today. Get your arms rested up.**

Tokoyami was a little disappointed. He'd forgotten about his punishment after last night, but it could've been much worse. With nothing else to do, he decided to head on to the cafeteria for breakfast. On his way there, he ran into Shoji, and the two caught up as they walked together.

When they made it to the cafeteria, almost all the class was already there. Tokoyami saw heads turn his direction, but most of the students paid no attention. He wondered if news from last night had become public. Either that, or they were looking at his bandages, which Tokoyami showed off with a short sleeve shirt.

After grabbing their food, Shoji offered Tokoyami to come sit with him and Koda, but Fumikage declined, saying he already told Kirishima he would sit with him today. Shoji thought nothing of it, and the two split up. Technically speaking Kirishima had said lunch, but Tokoyami doubted that would be an issue. Tokoyami wandered for a moment and looked around the room until a voice called out,

"Oi, Tokoyami!"

Tokoyami looked and saw the redhead waving at him from a table across the room, wearing a pointed-teeth grin. Sato was there as well, sitting next to him. Tokoyami navigated his way through the tables and sat opposite to them both.

"Where's Bakugou?" Tokoyami asked, noticing the blonde's absence.

"Not sure, might still be asleep," Kirishima spoke with a full mouth, "How about you? Feeling better this morning?"

"Sort of," Tokoyami rubbed his elbow, "My arms are still sore. I'll have to take it easy during practice today."

Kirishima swallowed and looked at the bird.

"That's not what I was referring to."

"Oh, right," Tokoyami nodded and took a bite out of his apple, "Yes, thanks to you all, the solitary prison ensnaring my mind has been torn open."

"Hey, it's been a long time sense I heard one of those!" Kirishima grinned, "I missed your cool, metaphorical one-liners."

Tokoyami tittered and grabbed his juice box.

"To be honest, I wasn't really trying with that one." he sipped his beverage, "But I'm glad you enjoy them."

The two continued to chat about various topics, learning more about each other. Sato remained mostly silent, catching up on some studying he had put off. Their conversation ended when Bakugou arrived. He slumped down next to Kirishima with a massive sigh, looking absolutely drained.

"Look who's finally up," Kirishima smiled at his friend and spoke in a teasing tone, "Morning sunshine! You look like shit."

"Feel like shit," Bakugou growled and rubbed his eyes, "Didn't sleep at all last night."

"Oh, so that's why your eyes look like Aizawa's," Sato closed his book and looked at him, "Why didn't you sleep dude?"

"Oh jeez, I don't know!?" Bakugou barked, "Maybe because a certain pair of assholes woke me up last night, and I couldn't fall back to sleep!"

"Well, I sure hope you find them!" Kirishima laughed and pat his friend's shoulder, and then he winked at Fumikage, "Me and Tokoyami will be on the lookout."

"Don't touch me," Bakugou pushed his hand away as he picked up his coffee. He slurped it and glared at Tokoyami, "What are you doing over here birdhead?"

"I invited him to come sit with us." Kirishima pointed a thumb at himself.

Bakugou grunted and set his coffee down. Tokoyami felt guilty for the blonde's insomnia and decided to say something.

"Truthfully Bakugou, I am sorry for waking you up," Tokoyami said, "Kirishima had nothing to do with it. I'm the one who went to him."

"What the hell was that about anyway?" Bakugou asked, "You two never talk."

"He wanted to apologize for what happened last week." Kirishima explained.

"What are you talking about?" Bakugou eyes his friend, "Apologize for what?"

"He yelled and cussed at me during lunch."

Bakugou raised an eyebrow at Tokoyami.

"I don't get it. Why do you need to apologize for that?" he asked before returning to his meal, "He was pestering you, right? If he's being obnoxious, go right ahead."

"Dude, you're the _only_ one who thinks that," Sato struck an amused smile at Bakugou.

Bakugou ignored his friend and dug into his eggs. Kirishima and Sato started talking to each other, while the other two remained silent. Bakugou struck looks at Tokoyami every now and then, not forgetting the two second death stare from last night. Right now, the birdhead seemed to pay him no attention, but Bakugou knew something was up.

"What happened to your arms?" Bakugou asked without looking away from his food.

"I've been sparring with Dark Shadow during the evenings," Tokoyami didn't look at him either, "Last night, I pushed it a little too far and hurt myself."

Bakugou let out a short tsk.

"Since when did you care about martial arts?" he asked, taking a bite of sausage, "Doesn't your quirk do all the fighting?"

"Midoriya recommended it. He said it would help me focus in battle. Also, if Dark Shadow wasn't an option, I would have a fall back plan."

"Not much of a fall back plan if you ask me. Shouldn't you be more focused on strengthening your quirk powers?"

"I still am, but my quirk can be severely limited in certain situations."

"You mean like that time when I kicked your ass?" Bakugou glared at him.

"Precisely," Tokoyami glared back, "I hope to overcome my weakness to light so I won't have a one-sided match like that ever again."

From within, Dark Shadow spoke.

" _Should you really be telling him this? If he catches on-_

" _I don't plan on keeping it a secret before we fight,"_ Tokoyami spoke back _"Bakugou isn't stupid, and I'm not going to treat him as such."_

Bakugou and Tokoyami continued to glare at each other. Kirishima and Sato picked up on the informal hostility between the two and were warily observing. Finally, Bakugou let out a small but defined _humph_ before standing up.

"Well, good luck with that," he grabbed his empty tray and coffee cup, "But if you want my advice birdhead, if you ever run into people who counter your quirk, you should just runaway like the overgrown chicken that you are."

"Dude!" Kirishima said between clenched teeth, "C'mon man, be nice."

Bakugou ignored him and left the table. Kirishima looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that bro," he said, "He's just tired right now."

"Ok, now _you're_ the only one who thinks that," Sato laughed, "What are you talking about? That's just how Bakugou is."

"I know, but-

"It's fine Kirishima," Tokoyami stopped watching Bakugou and smiled at him, "I can handle a few insults."

Tokoyami stood up and gathered his tray.

"Hey, you sure you're alright man?" Kirishima gave him a concerned look, "If you need anything, I'll-

"Actually, can I have your number?" Tokoyami pulled out his phone and offered it to Kirishima, "Just add yourself to my contacts."

"Oh, yeah absolutely!" Kirishima took the phone from him.

Fumikage heard Dark Shadow laugh from within.

" _Good idea. Now you can spy on your soon-to-be rival through his boyfriend!"_

Tokoyami had to keep his eyes from rolling to the back of his head. Of course, that wasn't at all the case, but he had no reason reminding Dark Shadow that. Kirishima finished and handed the phone back to him.

"Shoot me a text so I can add you," Kirishima grinned, "I'd love to hang out!"

"Of course," Tokoyami smiled, "Thank you for sitting with me Kirishima. I'll see you in class."

"Yeah, catch ya later dude!" Kirishima called out while Tokoyami walked away.

The rest of the day went smoothly. Occasionally, somebody would point out Fumikage's bandages or ask about the night before, but it was mostly uneventful. Tokoyami had to be careful during practice with his arms, so he spent it gaining control of Dark Shadow instead. One thing Tokoyami went over was trying to make Dark Shadow respond to commands more quickly and effectively, and without the need for direct, vocal commands. The process required intense mental discipline and concentration. Tokoyami sweated while trying to strike far away targets using Dark Shadow. They did this for the rest of the hour.

When evening came, Tokoyami spent it cleaning up the dorms like Aizawa had instructed. Having Dark Shadow helped immensely, and the doubled their time by doing two chores at once. By the time they were done, it was nearing 10:00pm. Tokoyami yawned as he put his vacuum cleaner back in the cleaning closet. He made his way to his room and laid down in bed. Dark Shadow popped out of his chest and fidgeted around while Tokoyami pulled out his phone. He found Kirishima's contact and sent him a text.

 **Tokoyami: Kirishima, this is Tokoyami.**

A few seconds later, he got a text.

 **Eijirou: Sup? How did the cleaning go?**

 **Tokoyami: Well enough. Sorry for only texting you until now. I've been busy.**

 **Eijirou: It's no biggie. You need something? How are your arms?**

 **Tokoyami: Less soar than this morning. I'm fine, just wanted to text you before the day was over.**

 **Eijirou: Alright then, but if you need anything, I'm here for you man.**

The tone of concern in the text was blatantly obvious. It was obvious at Breakfast as well. Tokoyami didn't want Kirishima feeling obligated to him. He thought about it for a minute before texting,

 **Tokoyami: Kirishima, you don't need to worry about me. I'm grateful for your support, but I promise that, when push comes to shove, I'll be able to handle myself. I know last night it may have seemed that I was having a bit of a breakdown, but it was in the moment. Like I said, this month has been bizarre. It's not that I find your encouragement overbearing. I just don't want my friendships built on dependence.**

Tokoyami sent his text and waited nervously for a reply. He got it,

 **Eijirou: I understand bro! And I'm not worried. You're a tough bird no doubt. I've always thought you were a super cool guy, so I'm just glad we can finally talk!**

Tokoyami would be lying if he said that didn't make him feel warm on the inside. He smiled and replied,

 **Tokoyami: I'm very flattered. You have my deepest respect.**

 **Eijirou: Glad to have it! Hey, you free next weekend?**

 **Tokoyami: Yes, my schedule is open.**

 **Eijirou: Awesome! We should go somewhere. Anyway, I gotta finish studying. G'night dude!**

 **Tokoyami: Goodnight Kirishima.**

Tokoyami put his phone away wearing a big stupid grin on his face. Dark Shadow had been reading the texts with him.

"He's a really nice guy," the spirit said.

"Indeed," Tokoyami laid down and closed his eyes.

The next few days flew by, and Tokoyami was back to his regular routine. His injuries had healed, but Aizawa sensei advised he wear wrappings for protection. With his arms back, Tokoyami trained with Midoriya outside during practice. They found a small white circle painted on the ground and used that as their arena.

The air cracked as the boy's kicks collided with each other. Midoriya retracted and charged again, delivering a punch. Tokoyami blocked, and Midoriya pushed him back with a series of quick, powerful strikes. Tokoyami grunted as went on the defensive, blocking and dodging every hit. They agreed not to use their quirks, but clearly Midoriya had more experience with hand-to-hand combat. His punches were much stronger and faster than Tokoyami's, however he had prepared for this.

At the corner of the ring, Tokoyami stood his ground and countered with a left jab to his cheek. The counter threw Midoriya off guard, and he stumbled backwards. He threw a few more punches, but Tokoyami smacked them away, delivering blows of his own. On the third hit, Tokoyami delivered two punches, followed with a left chop, and ended with a strong right elbow. Midoriya dodged the last hit and threw a strong side kick at Tokoyami's. The Jet-Black hero shouted in pain as the blow knocked him over. Midoriya tried pinning him down, but Tokoyami rolled away and quickly recovered. Both boys breathed heavily as they stared each other down.

This time, Tokoyami was the one to charge. He threw a kick, but Midoriya caught it. Tokoyami's eyes widened. Midoriya yelled as he swung him over and smashed him into the ground. Before Tokoyami could recover, Midoriya pinned him by his throat, placing a knee onto his chest. Tokoyami closed his eyes and sighed as Midoriya stood up. He offered Tokoyami his hand.

"I guess self-training will only get you so far," he said as he grabbed Midoriya's hand, "I've still got a long way to go."

"Maybe you should consider getting a trainer." Midoriya pulled him up.

"Aizawa said he would help me practice," Fumikage said as he dusted himself off, "We're supposed to start tonight."

"That's good to hear," Midoriya looked at his watch, "Practice is almost over. We should head back."

Tokoyami nodded, and the two made their way back to the training grounds. Tokoyami spotted Bakugou glaring at them from a distance. Kirishima distracted him and he looked away. Midoriya noticed it as well and whispered to Tokoyami,

"Do you think he already knows?"

"Not exactly, but I think he's getting an idea," Tokoyami responded, and he put a hand underneath his beak, "This might be a little too obvious."

" _See? I told you."_ Dark Shadow spoke from within.

"Maybe we shouldn't be training alone then," Midoriya said, "Do you want me to ask someone else to join us next time?"

"If you can," Tokoyami nodded, "Also, I think we should use our quirks from now on. Aizawa will be giving me martial arts training anyway, and we shouldn't fall behind on our quirk practice."

"Good idea. Did you have anyone in mind?"

"If Asui is available, that would work. We've teamed up many times in the past."

The rest of the day flew by quickly. When evening finally came, Tokoyami got dressed, grabbed a few lanterns, and went outside. Aizawa sensei told him to meet up at the same spot he'd been training all month. He made his way through the forest trail, enjoying the twilight sky as he went. When he arrived, Aizawa was waiting for him. However, to Tokoyami's surprise, he wasn't alone. There was a student standing next to him.

Fumikage recognized the teenager's purple messy hair and droopy eyes. He had some strange looked masking resting just below his chin. To make things more peculiar, he wore the same white binding cloths Aizawa used.

" _Isn't that the guy from the games?"_ Dark Shadow noted, _"The one Midoriya went up against?"_

" _Yes, I believe he's Class-C,"_ Tokoyami answered from within and spoke out loud, "It's Shinso, isn't it?"

"Long time no see, Tsukuyomi." the boy acknowledged him.

"Shinsou has been learning under my guise," Aizawa explained, "I brought him along to practice with us."

Tokoyami didn't understand want interests his teacher had with a student from Class-C, however he saw no reason to question it.

"I see," Tokoyami pulled out his lanterns, "In that case, I'll-

"You won't be needing those." Aizawa said.

Tokoyami flinched with surprise and looked at his teacher with uncertainty.

"Sensei, I know it's not quite dark yet, however-

"If you lose control, I will suppress your powers," Aizawa put his goggles on, "I want you to practice getting control of your quirk while we do this."

"If you insist," Tokoyami shrugged and put the lamps down, leaving them off, "May I ask what we'll be practicing? I brought a book we can use if-

"Today we will be focused on agility and evasion," Aizawa walked forward with his arms crossed, "Your goal is simple. You must keep yourself from being captured, and you must do it without retreating. Step in the gap between me and Shinso. We will begin on my mark."

Tokoyami looked doubtful about this plan.

"Will I be evading both of you?" Tokoyami asked as he walked forward.

"Obviously," Shinso said as he put his mask on, "I wouldn't waste my evening here to be a spectator."

Tokoyami stopped and crouched down into a fighting stance, looking back and forth between the heroes.

" _Aizawa sensei is certainly the greater threat,"_ Tokoyami thought to himself, _"I should draw most of my focus to him and-_

"Begin!" Aizawa's shout broke Tokoyami's train of thought.

Without warning, Aizawa bonds lifted and launched towards Tokoyami like a sentient snake. Fumikage swore and dodged it at the last second, turning his full attention to his teacher. From behind, more cloths wrapped around and locked his arms to his body.

"You're evading me as well," Shinso said as he pulled his cloths.

Tokoyami shouted as he was yanked off his feet and onto his back. Aizawa walked over and looked down on him, crossing his arms.

"You didn't even bother using your quirk," Aizawa noted as the clothes unwrapped from Fumikage and retracted back to Shinso, "Why not?"

"Because this is martial arts training, isn't it?" Tokoyami caught his breath as he stood up, "Besides, you can nullify my quirk anyway."

"I will only use my power if you lose control," Aizawa said.

"Even so, I'm here to learn martial arts," Tokoyami sounded frustrated now, "Aizawa sensei, what is the point of this? You said you were going to help me practice, and yet-

"I expect you to be more creative than that."

Tokoyami flinched and looked at his master.

"What do you mean?"

"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own," he nodded at Shinso, and the two stepped back, "Now, let's try this again."

Tokoyami growled as he got back into his stance.

" _You should use me this time,"_ Dark Shadow urged.

" _No, I will not rely on your strength,"_ Tokoyami said, _"I must learn to do this on my own."_

" _Idiot, you won't last long! That's already been demonstrated!"_

" _I'll get better,"_ Tokoyami gritted his teeth and planted his feet, _"Watch me!"_

The night drove on, and Tokoyami became more agitated as it did. He didn't show much improvement, and never got past lasting more than five seconds. Evading two targets at once without a quirk was simply too much to handle. To make things worse, Dark Shadow was arguing with him internally the whole time. His voice got louder and his power more uncontrollable as the sun dropped. Hours passed, and at 10:00, Tokoyami was breathing between his teeth, tensing his entire body as he tried to keep Dark Shadow at bay. Aizawa paused when he saw his state and put a hand up to Shinso, who was about to attack.

"Tokoyami, there's no way you can concentrate like that," Aizawa said.

"I'm trying…to control him!" Tokoyami growled.

From within, Dark Shadow was howling, drunk with the power of the night.

 _"IT'S YOUR FAULT WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE! LET ME OUT ALREADY, AND I'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS!"_

Dark Shadow struggled to crawl out of Tokoyami's back. The boy fell to his knees, burying his fingers into the grass.

"Dark Shadow…s-stay in!" Tokoyami grunted.

Shinso took a few steps back, wearing a wary expression.

"Sensei," he said with a cautious voice, "I think we should stop this."

Aizawa ignored him and pressed his student.

"Your agitation and frustration are only making it worse," Aizawa said, "You must find a way to calm-

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD THIS IS!" Tokoyami shouted, but it sounded like two voices.

Suddenly, Dark Shadow broke loose and grew five time it's size.

"Sensei!" Shinso shouted, looking like he was about to run for it.

Aizawa widened his eyes, and Dark Shadow back into his master. Tokoyami fell on his knees and supported himself with his forearms. His face was down in the dirt as he gasped for air. Aizawa walked over to him and knelt, resting a hand on his back.

"Tokoyami," he began, "Do you expect to gain control of your quirk if you just suppress it in it's most unruly states? You must learn to use in the dark as much as in the light. That's what I'm trying to teach you here."

"I thought this was going to be about martial arts," Tokoyami said with an exhausted voice.

"It is…and I expect to use your quirk with those abilities."

Tokoyami's breathing calmed and he looked back up at Aizawa.

"That's what I meant when I said be creative," he said, "You must combine your martial arts with your quirk powers to fully utilize your skills. That means you must have extensive control over them. I never said this training was going to be easy. However, the best way to learn is to master them both simultaneously. That way, not only will you be able to quickly switch between them in combat, but you will also be able to combine them when the situation calls for it. Does that make sense?"

Tokoyami said nothing and looked at the ground.

"I think I understand what you're saying," he nodded, "But…I don't know to apply that."

"You will figure it out in time," Aizawa lifted him up to his feet, "Let's head back. You've done enough for today."

The three of them began walking back down the trail. Tokoyami held his head low, feeling drained and defeated. He was so excited to be training with Aizawa beforehand, and yet he felt he hadn't made any progress tonight.

"You better get used to it," Shinso said.

Tokoyami looked up at him. The teen had his eyes focused forward.

"Get used to what?" Tokoyami asked.

"That feeling of failure and disappointment. It's normal during your first few weeks of personal training with him," Shinso pulled his mask down, "I know better than anyone else."

Tokoyami continued to stare at him before looking back at the ground.

"You're gained much skill Shinso,"

"Yeah, well I've still got a long way to go. Just like you."

Tokoyami didn't respond to that. He remained silent for the rest of the trip back.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well, THAT took long enough.**

 **Sorry for the later than usual update folks. I think I'm gonna move it to a chapter a week from now on (which means this will most likely not be finished by the end of Tokotober, unfortunately). College ain't easy, and I got a lot of stuff to do for this month and November.**

 **Before I continue, HUGE thanks to Starboy6 and TraditionalTwist. You guys have given me so much confidence and determination to finish this thing, and I appreciate it. If you haven't already, check out their recent stories (Bombing Lit by Starboy6, a adorable BakugouxCamie piece, and Mad Banquet of Darkness by TraditionalTwist, a melancholic TsuyuxTokoyami tale, and all of the beautiful Tokotober shorts), along with the rest of their works. These guys are killing it!**

 **After this chapter, things should really start picking up pace. So far, it's been a lot of soul searching and discovery for Tokoyami. I know this story is supposed to be all about him learning martial arts (which I've discovered is preeety hard to write for his character). Don't worry, we'll get back to all that! I like to have lots of buildup.**

 **So, now that the unnecessarily long A/N is out of the way, ON WITH THE STORY!**

The following week was one of the most difficult times in Tokoyami's life. Shinso wasn't lying to him. Every night after training, Tokoyami went to bed feeling like an utter failure. He tried using Dark Shadow the second night, but the only technique he had that combined their power was the Black Ankh. But using that technique in the dark was excruciating, and the power overtook him every time. He understood what Aizawa was getting at. The only way to properly combine martial arts with his quirk was to master control over Dark Shadow, a task that was easier said than done. He certainly showed improvement and managed to suppress Dark Shadow for an impressive amount of time at night. But it wasn't nearly enough.

To make matters worse, the training had started wearing on him. Tokoyami attempted to hide it, but his fatigue and lack of energy were becoming more apparent every day. Aizawa's training pushed him both mentally and physically to his breaking point, leaving him utterly drained every night. He caught himself dozing off during classes on several occasions. Shouji had to wake him up on one of them, getting a chuckle out of everyone that left Fumikage flustered with embarrassment. However, after what happened during practice one day, nobody laughed at him.

Tokoyami barely dodged Tsuyu's tongue while Midoriya attacked from behind. The greenhead smashed his fist into the ground. Tokoyami managed to jump out of the way, stumbling as he kept his footing. The blazing sun above left his mouth dry and his brow soaked with sweat. Today was much hotter than usual.

 _"Fumikage, you need to slow down!"_ Dark Shadow pleaded while the others regrouped and teamed up, _"Your heart is racing!"_

 _"I'm fine, now help me concentrate,"_ Midoriya and Tsuyu charged. Tokoyami planted his feet and shouted, "Black Ankh!"

Dark Shadow enveloped his body. The other two split, surrounding him from both sides. Tokoyami felt his vision become foggy and he struggled to keep his eyes open. Midoriya attacked from the left while Tsuyu shot her tongue from the right. Tokoyami ducked, letting the red appendage soar over his head. It wrapped around Midoriya. Before they could untangle, Fumikage grabbed her tongue and flung Midoriya at Tsuyu. Tsuyu and unraveled her tongue from Midoriya. The boy regained himself and jumped back to his feet. Before Midoriya could attack, he stopped and hesitated. Tsuyu didn't move as well as she noticed something off about Tokoyami. The teen hunched over, barely standing. His chest heaved violently, like he had gotten the wind knocked out of him. A few seconds later, Dark Shadow subsided, and Fumikage fell over onto his back.

"Tokoyami!" Midoriya shouted as he and Tsuyu ran over to the boy. Midoriya crouched down next to him, "I think he pushed it too hard."

"He might be dehydrated," Tsuyu said as she crouched next to him in a frog stance, grabbing a bottle off her belt, "Go tell Aizawa Sensei."

Midoriya nodded and ran off. Tsuyu cradled Tokoyami's head as she lifted the bottle to his beak.

"Here, drink up," she poured the liquid into the side of his mouth. Tokoyami drank some before coughing. Tsuyu pet his feathers until he stopped.

Midoriya returned with Aizawa. The hero crouched down and placed a hand on his student's forehead.

"He has a bit of a fever," he lifted the boy to his feet, "He needs to rest and hydrate. I will take him to his room."

"Let me do it sensei," Tsuyu said as she wrapped Tokoyami's arm around her neck.

"Very well," Aizawa nodded and walked off, "Be back when you've dropped him off."

Tsuyu got a better grip and looked at her friend. His eyes were still closed.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Tsuyu asked.

The boy shook his head without saying a word.

"I can walk like this…" he practically whispered.

Tsuyu looked back at Midoriya.

"I'll come back after I'm done."

She began walking through the training grounds. Several eyes turned their way, but nobody approached the duo, not until Kirishima spotted them. He and Bakugou wrestled with each other in a small ring. Kirishima had Bakugou in a head lock when he saw Tokoyami and Tsuyu in the distance.

"Oi Tsuyu, wait up!" Kirishima let go off Bakugou and ran over to them. The blonde dropped to his knees, massaging his neck as he coughed.

Tsuyu looked over at the redhead but didn't stop. The boy approached them, wearing a concerned expression.

"Wow, what happened?" he asked.

"It's ok Kirishima," Tsuyu said as she looked at Tokoyami, "I think he's just exhausted."

"Is he gonna be alright?"

"I don't think it's anything serious," she looked back at him, "You should probably get back to practicing."

Kirishima took note of her dismissiveness and ran back to Bakugou. The blonde half-snarled as he watched the duo leave.

"What the hell's wrong with him?"

"I think he's just overworked," Kirishima looked back.

Bakugou glowered.

"That birdhead's up to something," he growled, "Nobody pushes themselves that hard unless they've got reason too."

"I know, it's pretty impressive huh?" Kirishima beamed at him and laughed, "Hey, you better watch out man! He might catch up with you!"

"Yeah…" Bakugou lowered his chin and glared, "I better watch out."

Kirishima's grin vanished as he saw the violent intent on his friend's face. Kirishima smiled and let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh, I'm just joking dude," Kirishima waved his hand.

"I'm not." Bakugou looked back at him and crouched down.

Kirishima crouched down as well.

 _"Things have only gotten worse between them,"_ Kirishima thought to himself, _"_ _I_ _should probably say something."_

Tokoyami and Tsuyu walked into the dorm building. Tokoyami had recovered a little bit, but he still felt sluggish and dizzy.

"You overexerted yourself," Tsuyu said, "And I know why. Midoriya told me about your extra evening training before he asked me to join you guys He also told me about the martial arts you've been practicing. If you keep this up, you're gonna hurt yourself."

"I know, but I'm not sure what else to do," Tokoyami bowed his head, "I need to get stronger, no matter what."

"Can't you just tone it back a bit?" Tsuyu looked at him.

"I have a hard time doing that these days."

Tsuyu thought about what to say next. When it came to techniques, styles, and overall fighting abilities, she knew Tokoyami better than perhaps anyone else in class, the only exception being Midoriya. They had teamed up many times in the past, and Tsuyu knew how he ticked during combat. She decided to use that to get through to him.

"When we fought together, you always used your head," she began, placing a finger underneath her lip, "You have a strong quirk, but it was your mindfulness, calmness, and intelligence that made it work. Now it looks like you're trying to win everything on strength and determination alone. We both know that's not how you fight."

They approached they elevator, and Tsuyu pressed the button.

"I understand what you're saying, but I'm doing this to overcome my weaknesses," Tokoyami explained, "I simply cannot rely on Dark Shadow for everything."

"I'm not saying you should," she said, "I'm saying you shouldn't lose sight of your strengths."

Tokoyami looked at her curiously. The elevator dinged and opened.

"You're not Midoriya, you're not Kirishima, and you're certainly not Bakugou," Tsuyu continued as they walked in, "You're not a high stamina, durable strength fighter, and yet you keep acting like one. I get that you want to overcome your quirk weaknesses, but you shouldn't do that by adopting behaviors contradictory to your stronger personality traits."

The door closed, and Tsuyu pressed the button for floor 3. Tokoyami's eyes lit up, like a secret hidden from him sense birth had finally been revealed. Tsuyu smiled, knowing her words had gotten through.

"Of course, it's so obvious," he said, "I've been working harder than ever before, but I haven't been thinking at all."

"That's why you need to tone it back a bit. Not to rest, but to think, ribbit."

The doors opened again, and they both walked to Tokoyami's room. Tsuyu opened the door and carried Tokoyami to his bed. She wanted to help lay him down, but he slowly lifted her arm up.

"I think I can handle myself from here."

Tokoyami laid himself down on the bed, closing his eyes. Tsuyu grabbed the bottle off her belt and set it on the desk next to his bed.

"Make sure to drink," she said.

"Thank you Tsuyu," Tokoyami remembered to say her name properly this time.

Asui made her way out, but before she left, she grabbed the doorknob and looked back.

"Tokoyami?" she asked.

Fumikage opened his eyes and turned his head towards her.

"Yes?"

Tsuyu blushed lightly and rubbed her cheek with her finger. She looked somewhat conflicted, as if there was something she needed to get off her chest. Tokoyami noticed this and sat up on his forearms.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she smiled at him with closed eyes and stepped out of the room, "Take care of yourself, ribbit."

The door closed. Tokoyami blinked a few times.

 _"That was odd,"_ he thought, _"Asui usually has no problem speaking her mind."_

Tokoyami was about to fall asleep, but before he could, his phone started buzzing. He reached into his pocket and looked at it. One of the group chats was going off.

 **Ashido: OMG, is Tokoyami ok? Why was he being carried off?**

 **Shouji: I saw it too. Hope he's alright.**

 **Todoroki: He didn't look injured. Maybe he was just dehydrated. It's hotter than usual outside.**

 **Asui: He's fine. He just needed to rest.**

 **Kaminari: Man, something's up with him.**

 **Mineta: I know right? First the Midoriya style bandages, now this? What's gotten into him lately?**

 **Todoroki: Obviously he's been pushing himself harder, unlike you two.**

 **Shouji: True.**

 **Sato: Oh, shots fired!**

 **Mineta: You guys are assholes.**

 **Ida: Hey, we're in practice right now! Stop texting each other!**

 **Kaminari: You just texted yourself.**

The chat went on, and Tokoyami finally silenced his phone.

"Great, now everyone's talking," he sighed and set the device aside. He laid his head down and closed his eyes, "May the darkness shroud me once again from their vision."

It didn't take much for Tokoyami to doze off. His eyes shot open at the sound of someone knocking at his door.

"Tokoyami, are you in there?" it was Midoriya's voice.

"Yes, yes give me a second," Tokoyami lunged up and grabbed his phone. He'd been asleep for more than three hours and had three unread text messages. He put his phone away and pushed his ruffled feathers back, "It's unlocked."

Midoriya opened the door. He grabbed his forearm and stepped back.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"I needed to wake up anyway," Tokoyami waved it off, "Is there something you need?"

"Not really, I just wanted to check on you," Izuku looked down, "I can leave if-

"No, come in please," Tokoyami smiled and scooted over, patting the bed next to him.

Midoriya seemed nervous as he walked in. Tokoyami wondered why, but then he remembered yelling at him last time Midoriya and a few others entered his room uninvited.

"Don't be shy," Tokoyami tittered, "I'm not gonna get mad this time."

"Yeah," Midoriya eased up and let out a small laugh, "You were pretty upset with us."

Midoriya walked over and sat down.

"So, the training with Aizawa's been tough." Izuku said.

"That's putting it lightly," Tokoyami replied.

"What does he have you do? if you don't mind telling."

"Right now, he wants me to gain control over Dark Shadow without using light. On top of that, he wants me to do it while avoiding capture." Tokoyami decided not to mention Shinso.

"I thought he was gonna be teaching you martial arts," Midoriya sounded somewhat surprised.

"Technically, evasion and reaction are a part of martial arts," Tokoyami explained, "But I'm still wondering if I've improved in those areas."

"You definitely have. I've noticed it during practice. I guess being put in a stressful environment is the best way to train. Maybe that's why Aizawa is doing this?"

"Perhaps, but he still wants me to gain control," Tokoyami let his head drop, "I'm still struggling with that part."

Midoriya looked down at his arms. He pulled his sleeve back, looking at the scars.

"I know what you mean," Izuku said, "When I first…manifested my quirk, I had a difficult time trying to control it. Every attack I used broke bone after bone. It took me forever just to control twenty percent of my power."

"How did you get there?"

"It took tons of concentration and practice," Midoriya tightened his fist.

"I don't know if that's helping me," Tokoyami grumbled and interlocked his fingers, "Dark Shadow has a mind of his own. He's a good friend and a strong ally under normal circumstances, but in the darkness, he is a wild, uncontrollable beast."

Midoriya put a hand underneath his chin, looking deep in thought.

"What do you usually think about when you're controlling him?" Midoriya asked, "When he loses control. How does it make you feel?"

"I try not to think or feel anything," Tokoyami said, "I push my emotions aside and try to be as stern as possible. Usually it is anger and frustration that comes to mind. The more I keep Dark Shadow at bay, the more he seems to lose control."

"It seems like your quirk is deeply connected to your emotions."

"He is," Tokoyami nodded.

"So, maybe that's where you're messing up," Midoriya snapped his fingers, "If you keep suppressing Dark Shadow and sweeping your anger aside, that only frustrates both of you, and it makes the power stronger, right?"

"Well that's obvious," Tokoyami looked at Midoriya, "And that's what I'm trying to figure out."

"So, rather than suppression, maybe you should aim for achieving peace and serenity," Midoriya looked at him, "I guess that sounds kind of corny, but I can't think of anything else."

Tokoyami let out a small humph and put a hand underneath his beak.

"I've never thought of that before," he looked away, "How do I achieve peace and serenity when I'm being flooded with raw power and anger?"

"Meditation might help. Although I'm honestly not sure. Maybe focusing on something that helps you calm down, like a pleasant memory. That helps me when I'm stressed."

Tokoyami nodded but said nothing. Midoriya checked his watch.

"I should probably get going," Midoriya stood up and looked at Tokoyami, "I promised I'd meet up with Ida in an hour. Will you be at practice tomorrow?"

"Yes, I should be fine by then," Tokoyami didn't look back up at him and appeared preoccupied with his thoughts, "Thank you for stopping by."

Midoriya nodded and walked out of the room. Tokoyami remembered the messages he had received and checked his phone. One was from Aizawa Sensei.

 **Aizawa: We'll lay off on the training for today. Come ready tomorrow night. I expect to see you will have learned something by then.**

Tokoyami let out a small chuckle. Aizawa Sensei knew exactly what he was thinking already. Fumikage just hoped he will have found the answer by then. He checked the next text and saw that it was from Hawks. Tokoyami's heart sank when he realized he'd slept through his internship, but his mentor's response reassured him.

 **Hawks: Aizawa informed me about what happened. I'll give you a pass for today. Take it easier in the future so it doesn't happen again.**

Tokoyami let out a sigh of relief. He scrolled down his phone and found the last text was from Kirishima.

 **Eijirou: Hey man, hope you're feeling better. Are you ok?**

Tokoyami responded,

 **Tokoyami: I was just a bit fatigued and dehydrated. Should be back at 100% by tomorrow.**

 **Eijirou: Awesome! Are you free tonight, or do you plan on staying home to rest?**

Tokoyami wondered if Aizawa would be ok with him using his time off for this instead of sleep. However, his teacher never specified to clear up his schedule, so Tokoyami saw nothing wrong with it. Besides, he and Kirishima had tried scheduling time to hang out, and their studying, internships, and training kept getting in the way. Fumikage didn't want to waste this opportunity.

 **Tokoyami: Considering I just woke up from a three-hour slumber, I should be rejuvenated for the evening. Did you have something in mind?**

It took some time for Kirishima to respond. Tokoyami waited eagerly, ad while he did so, Dark Shadow emerged from his chest and read along with the texts. Kirishima responded,

 **Eijirou: Yeah! I'm at my internship finishing things up, but I should be back within an hour. There's an old retro style arcade I've been wanting to check out. It's hooked up to an American style pizza parlor. You wanna try it?**

Tokoyami had never been to an arcade or a pizza parlor. He liked the idea of trying something new.

 **Tokoyami: Of course, I'm down for anything. I've never actually tried American pizza before, so this'll be a first. What time should we plan on leaving?**

 **Eijirou: Holy crap dude, you're missing out! I'll be back at around 5:45ish, so maybe 6:00?**

 **Tokoyami: Alright, I will see you then. Good luck at your internship.**

 **Eijirou: Thanks! Take care of yourself man!**

Tokoyami put his phone away with a smile. He was becoming thankful for his incident during practice.

"You're in a better mood than usual," Dark Shadow looked at his master.

"I'm just glad we finally have a chance to spend time together," Tokoyami stood up from his bed and looked down, noticing he was still wearing his practice uniform, "I'll need to shower and change."

"Yeah, you want to make sure you look nice for your date!" Dark Shadow cackled before exiting back into Tokoyami.

Fumikage rolled his eyes and ignored the comment. He stripped down and hopped into the shower. After he finished and dried off, he picked out some clothes to wear. A pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black hoodie was enough. Tokoyami thought about wearing his prized leather jacket, but he decided that would be overdoing it. After he finished, he made his way down to the common area, bringing his red martial arts book to read. When he got there, Momo and Todoroki where sitting on a couch talking to each other. Momo smiled when she saw him and said,

"Good, you're up and walking. How do you feel?"

"Better now," Tokoyami sat down on the couch opposite to them, putting his book to the side.

Todoroki eyed Tokoyami curiously.

"You've been training like hell recently," he pointed out, "More so than any of us. I don't usually like intruding on others business, but do you have a reason?"

"I'm simply trying to make up for my quirk weaknesses." Tokoyami picked up his book and started reading.

Todoroki shrugged it off and continued talking with Momo. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Tokoyami still wanted to keep his feud with Bakugou a secret, especially from Todoroki. He knew he wasn't ready to challenge either of them yet. But he wasn't prepared to wait forever either. He needed to pick up the pace on his training and be ready by the end of the month. He remembered what Tsuyu told him, but there was nothing wrong about thinking things through quickly.

"I hate to interrupt your conversation," Tokoyami looked up from his book, "But may I ask you two a question?"

They both looked at him.

"Of course," Momo said.

"Do either of you know anything about meditation?"

"My experience is somewhat limited, but I practice every day," Momo smiled, "Are you interested? I think meditation would be really good for you."

"I've never done it before," Todoroki admitted, "What made you think of it?"

"Well, I'm trying to find ways to control Dark Shadow," Tokoyami explained, "You know, so what happened during the villain raid won't be repeated."

"That makes sense," Todoroki said.

"Would you like me to help you get the basics down?" Momo beamed, "It's really not that hard. I can teach you some good techniques in a few short lessons."

"If you can make the time for it," Tokoyami smiled and nodded, "I would be very grateful."

Todoroki and Momo went back to their conversation, and Fumikage continued reading his book. A few minutes later, Kirishima walked into the dorm. He waved at Tokoyami while he ran through the common area in his costume, saying he'd be ready in five minutes. Tokoyami called back, telling him to take his time.

"Are you two going somewhere?" Momo asked.

"We both had the night off, so we decided to hang out."

"Oh," Momo smiled and closed her eyes, "Good for you!"

"Have fun with that," Todoroki said, not smiling.

A little more than five minutes later, Kirishima came back down. He wore a red V-neck with a pair of black pants. Tokoyami closed his book and placed it in his back pocket, standing up from the couch. Kirishima grinned and offered a fist to Tokoyami. Fumikage smiled and bumped it. They both walked out of the building together and made their way to the bus stop.

"So, do you like anyone from our class?" Kirishima began with a casual manner and smile, "I mean, if you're ok sharing."

"No, I have no crush," Tokoyami admitted with a soft grin, "I am much too busy these days to worry about romantic affairs."

"Yeah, I get that," Kirishima nodded, but he couldn't let his curiosity go, "Well, but if you _could_ go out with a girl from class, who would it be? Like, even as a friend?"

"As a friend?" Tokoyami thought for a moment, but it didn't take long to answer, "Asui, without a doubt. She has my utmost respect."

"I thought you'd say that," Kirishima laughed, "You guys really impressed all of us with your team work. I'm sure you get along easily."

"She is an excellent training partner," Tokoyami looked at him, "What about you?"

"Oh, probably Mina for sure," Kirishima blushed a little as he rubbed the back of his neck, "We've known each other before we came to UA."

"Do you like her?" Tokoyami smiled.

"What? No-o-o!" Kirishima waved his hand, "Well, I mean, don't get the wrong idea. We're good friends and I think she's beautiful but…ah, I don't know. I just can see us like that, ya know what I mean? I think we work better as friends."

"I understand," Tokoyami nodded, "So, that means you also don't have a crush?"

"Nah, not really. Like you said, it's hard when you're so busy all the time. I'm not upset about it."

"But you were still curious, so you asked," Tokoyami looked away, smiling, "Do you ever think about what your future will look like? Do you plan on getting married?"

"To be totally honest, I have no idea. I mean, I've thought about it before obviously. But it's just hard to tell currently. I definitely want to become a hero though."

"Well, there's no denying that for either of us."

They continued to chat as they made their way to the bus stop. They arrived just when the bus was approaching and hopped on, sitting next to each other near the back.

"Do you have any siblings?" Kirishima asked as the bus started moving, "What do your parents do for a living?"

Tokoyami froze with those questions. He cleared his throat and looked away.

"I…don't really have a family," he spoke softly.

"Oh…" Kirishima looked down, "I'm so sorry man. I didn't mean to assume."

"No, it's not your fault," Tokoyami quickly changed his demeanor and looked at him, "It's a pretty safe assumption for most people. But, to be honest, it's something I'd just rather not talk about. The past is in the past. Let it stay there."

Kirishima nodded and quickly brightened up again, changing the subject.

"By the way, how long have you been playing the guitar? You rocked it at the concert!"

"Thank you," Tokoyami blushed slightly, "I started in middle school and have been practicing sense then."

"That's awesome! Hey, who knows? Maybe you can become a musician on the side while you work as a hero!"

Tokoyami chuckled and turned a little more red.

"I can only hope."

They continued talking until the bus came to a stop. They got off with everyone else and strolled down the sidewalk. Tokoyami couldn't help but notice how pleasant all of this was. Kirishima was such a kind and encouraging person to be around. He couldn't remember the last time he enjoyed someone else's company this much. On top of that, he felt calm and relaxed, more so than usual. He could tell because Dark Shadow wasn't stirring, which meant he was paying attention and listening all the way. There was something so reassuring about Kirishima's presence. It reminded Tokoyami of the times he spent practicing and training with Tsuyu.

They finally made it to the pizza/arcade parlor. They found a table to themselves and ordered a large pepperoni. Fumikage had only heard about American pizza, but he never tried it himself. It only took one bite to wipe away any doubt. Kirishima noticed the satisfaction written all over his friends face and gave a pointed-tooth smiled in return.

"It's pretty good, isn't it?"

"Amazing," Tokoyami said after swallowing his first bite, "This was definitely the right choice."

"It's like my Dad always said," Kirishima said as he bit down on a slice, "Americans are best at producing two things: superheroes, and food."

"But I thought pizza was Italian."

"Not this kind," Kirishima spoke with a full mouth, "This is New York style."

The two of them ate and chatted for over an hour. After a while, their conversation shifted tone as Kirishima decided to speak his mind.

"Hey, can I ask you something man?" Kirishima began.

"Yes, go ahead." Tokoyami nodded as he wiped his beak with a napkin.

Kirishima scratched the back of his head, not really knowing how to approach this topic.

"It's not really any of my business," he looked at Fumikage, "but, is there something going on between you and Bakugou? I don't want to open a can of worms here, but you guys have just been kind of…hostile to each other."

Tokoyami narrowed his eyes and glanced away slightly. Dark Shadow, who had been silent almost this entire time, immediately responded from within,

 _"If you tell him, he'll spill the beans. Don't say anything."_

 _"Calm down,"_ Tokoyami thought back and cleared his throat, saying, "Well, I think Bakugou is the sort of person who is hostile towards everyone, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, trust me, I know exactly what you mean," Kirishima let out a small laugh, "But it's just not the same between you two. I can tell the difference when he's taking things personally and when he's just being himself. Every time it's with you though, at least sense recently, it looks more personal."

Tokoyami thought hard. He knew he could trust Kirishima, but could he trust him enough to keep a secret from his own best friend? Tokoyami didn't know enough about him and Bakugou's relationship, but he knew they were close, closer than he was to Kirishima. Finally, he decided keeping secrets was a terrible way to start a new friendship, and that was more important than his personal ambitions.

"I think it is because Bakugou has gotten the impression that I am trying to surpass him," Tokoyami said, ignoring Dark Shadow's protesting.

Kirishima blinked a few times and leaned forward.

"Are you?" he asked, looking curious.

 _"Say no!"_ the spirit hissed.

"Would it be a problem if I said yes?" Tokoyami responded, and he had to physically suppress Dark Shadow while he said it. Fortunately, he anticipated the creature would try to stop him, and kept him from emerging in a public space.

"Huh?" Kirishima jolted back, looking confused, "Why would that be a problem?"

"Well, you're his best friend."

"I mean, yeah, but it's not like I'm gonna stop you because of that," Kirishima huffed, smiling, "Heck, Bakugou would probably kill me if I tried. He doesn't need my protection, that's for damn sure."

"Then, can you keep this a secret for me?" Tokoyami asked.

"Why the heck would you need to keep it a secret?" Kirishima laughed, "Do you think he'll try to _stop_ you or something? If anything, keeping it to yourself and pretending nothing is going on will only piss him off."

Tokoyami flinched with that, and Dark Shadow stopped stirring. They were both listening intently.

"What do you mean by that?" Tokoyami asked.

"Well, if you keep acting passive about it, he'll catch on sooner or later," Kirishima explained, "If you ask me, he probably already has. He's gonna think you're taking him for a fool if you keep acting secretive. But if you tell him straight up, he'll take notice, and might even respect you…in his own Bakugou way."

"So, you're saying I should come out of the woodworks sooner than later?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"There's a problem with that," Tokoyami interlocked his fingers, "I don't think I'm ready to challenge him."

Kirishima looked even more confused by this.

"Why not? You're strong, even if you lost to him once. Don't underestimate yourself."

"You don't understand," Tokoyami explained, "I'm specifically looking for a way to counter my quirk weaknesses. I can't even come close without doing that. First off, I must learn to control Dark Shadow better. Secondly, I need to find a way to work around Dark Shadow's weakness to light."

"Well, I don't know what to say about that first part," Kirishima grinned, "But for the second one, can't you just develop a new technique?"

Tokoyami's head perked up.

"A new technique?"

"Yeah! You know, one specifically designed to work against people with light-emitting powers?" Kirishima asked, "It can't be that hard."

Tokoyami blinked a few times, gawping at Kirishima. He let out a low sigh and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Oh Fumikage, you absolute idiot…" he mumbled, and then spoke louder, "I've been so focused on the techniques I already have and the martial arts I've developed, it never even crossed my mind to come up with a new technique," he shook his head and angrily banged the table, "Tsuyu was right. Damn my ignorance and my shortsightedness! I should have known!"

"Hey, take it easy dude," Kirishima spoke with a calming tone, lifting both hands, "And besides, that's just a suggestion. I never said it would work."

Fumikage let out an aggravated sigh and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, looking down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get upset. I'm just…so frustrated with myself. I thought things would get better after that night I came to you, but if anything, they've only gotten worse." Tokoyami opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head, "No matter what, it seems I keep having to rely on others to pull me out of the gutter, physically, mentally, and emotionally."

"Look dude," Kirishima spoke with sincerity, "You've got to stop beating yourself up like this. And I'm saying that because I have _absolutely_ been there myself. I know how you're feeling. I used to doubt myself all the time, and I still do from time to time. All it does is drag you down and keep you from reaching your potential."

"I struggle with letting go of my failures," Tokoyami said, "how do I fix that?"

"You stop focusing on yourself and start looking up to others," Kirishima didn't hesitate to respond, "When I was younger, looking up to my idols and parents helped a lot, because it kept me off myself. I didn't elaborate on my shortcomings, because I focused on their achievements. Heck, I still do that."

"But I had no parents. I have no idols. The closest who ever came to fill that role was All Might, but it was always a distant admiration. All my life, it has been me and Dark Shadow. That's it. I can't change that."

Kirishima didn't know how to respond to that. They both sat there in uncomfortable silence. Tokoyami felt horribly guilty for breaking the pleasant mood with his selfish babbling.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No, see _that_ is exactly what I'm talking about," Kirishima interrupted with a frowning smile and pointed at Tokoyami, "You don't need to apologize for everything. Working through stuff is what friends do with each other, got it? It's how we help each other grow."

Now Tokoyami was the one at a lost for words. He'd never been told to hold back his apology. Tokoyami blinked a few times and looked down at his empty plate. Kirishima stood up from his table and walked over to him, resting a hand on Tokoyami's shoulder.

"How about we check out that arcade?" he struck a comforting grin, "I'm in the mood to shoot some aliens."

Tokoyami looked up. He slowly formed a smile of his own and nodded.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, I've been getting Sato and Sero mixed up this whole time. It was supposed to be Sero, not Sato, on every occasion. Stupid name similarities -_-**

 **Aside from that, please enjoy!**

Tokoyami and Kirishima played an old, 90's arcade shooter called Area 51 for over an hour. Tokoyami had little interest or experience with video games, but he enjoyed every moment of it. Kirishima yelled and cussed the entire time, getting his halfhearted friend riled up in the experience with him. They set a new high score on the co-op mode and cheered, celebrating with a high five. Kirishima checked his phone for the time and noticed they were about to run past curfew hours. Disappointment struck Tokoyami when he realized they had to leave. He hoped they could try out some of the other games.

Kirishima paid the bill for their food before they walked out of the building. It was well past 9:00, and the night sky settled in. On their way back to the bus stop, Tokoyami stopped dead in his tracks and put a hand up to Kirishima. Down the sidewalk, a familiar purple-haired student leaned back against one of the street lamps, crossing his arms and legs. Kirishima leaned his head forward, squinting his eyes.

"Wait a minute…he kinda looks familiar," after a moment it came to him, "Isn't that the mind control guy from the games?"

"Hitoshi Shinso," Tokoyami put his hand down and walked forward, "He's been helping me train with Aizawa Sensei. Just a minute, I'll deal with this."

Kirishima stayed back while Tokoyami approached him. Despite their time together, Tokoyami still knew very little about him. They didn't speak much, aside from the occasional greetings. Shinso was almost dead silent during their nights of training.

"I wasn't expecting to find you here," Tokoyami said.

"Red Riot told Aizawa you two would be out for the night, so he asked me to keep an eye on you," Shinso didn't look away from the road.

Tokoyami thought nothing about Shinso's use of Kirishima's hero name. Aside from Aizawa, he seemed to do that with everyone else.

"I see," Tokoyami replied, "I'm surprised I never noticed you."

"That's because I didn't want you to until now," Shinso stood up straight from the pole, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Aizawa taught you how to track people while undercover," Tokoyami didn't even have to ask, "You've become deadlier than I thought."

Shinso ignored the compliment and faced Fumikage, his head slightly tilted. Tokoyami couldn't get any vibes from him. The teen was harder to read than Aizawa.

"I'm not interested in making friends," Shinso began, "But, from one disciple to another, I feel I ought to give you some advice."

Tokoyami didn't expect this. He respected Shinso without a doubt, but he never thought the teen would go out of his way to help him out.

"It just so happens I've been getting a lot of that today, so a little more can't hurt," Tokoyami said, "What is it?"

"Don't come tomorrow unless you plan on doing something different. If you can't figure things out after hitting your breaking point like today, there's no sense continuing."

Shinso said it as coldly as possible. Tokoyami thought back to the text he received from Aizawa sensei, _"I will expect to see you will have learned something by then."_

"Why are you telling me this?" Tokoyami asked, "Surely, if you're Aizawa sensei's disciple, you would have gone through the same challenges as I without advice."

"To put it bluntly, you've got a heavier burden to overcome," Shinso said, "Like me, you've been torturing yourself to get stronger. Like me, you took up a new practice to compensate for your quirk limitations. But unlike me, you possess a demon of a quirk to tame, both figuratively and literally. It didn't take long to figure that out. I can't imagine how hard it must be to deal with that sort of raw power and emotion clawing away at you every night. I'm impressed you've kept it going this long."

Tokoyami didn't seem affected by that. Despite how it sounded, Shinso was not pitying him, and Fumikage could tell. Shinso's droopy eyes formed a mild scowl.

"That's also why I don't understand what you're doing out here," he added, "Why are you wasting time like this? Don't you think you should be resting and coming up with a new strategy instead?"

Tokoyami was about to form an explanation, but he stopped and remembered what Kirishima had told him earlier.

"To put it simply, I've been quite miserable recently, and being with Kirishima makes me happy," Tokoyami scowled back, "I appreciate your wisdom Shinso, but you will not convince me this was the wrong decision."

Shinso's scowl resided a bit.

"I see, my apologies if I sounded insensitive," he said, "I suppose we are less similar than I had come to believe."

Tokoyami flinched at that. Shinso turned around and began walking.

"We should hurry back before we miss the bus," he said.

Fumikage watched him and beckoned Kirishima with his hand. The redhead jogged to catch up with him, and they followed Shinso.

"What did he have to say?" Kirishima asked, "Any reason he was out here?"

"I'd rather not explain," Tokoyami said, "It's a little complicated."

Kirishima started walking to catch up with Shinso. Fumikage thought about stopping him, but he only followed along. If anybody could make friends with Shinso, it was Eijiro. Kirishima walked up next to Shinso and gave a beaming smile, offering his hand.

"Shinso, right?" he exclaimed, "Name's Kirishima! Nice to meet ya!"

"I already know who you are," Shinso didn't even bother looking at him, "And I'm not interested in making friends. Don't bother me."

Kirishima's smile vanished and he put his hand down.

"Uh, right," the redhead laughed nervously, "Sorry."

Tokoyami let out a small grunt. It took a lot to turn away Kirishima's kindness, and Shinso did it without blinking.

" _He's colder than you,"_ Dark Shadow spoke internally with a slight cackle.

Tokoyami looked at Shinso carefully, not knowing how to feel about all of this. When they got on the bus, Shinso didn't sit with them. He kept to himself on the other side of the empty vehicle, reading a book he'd brought. Kirishima leaned over and whispered to Tokoyami,

"I can't tell, is he annoyed by us or something?"

"I think he just doesn't care," Tokoyami answered, keeping his voice low, "Probably best to leave him be."

"Kind of reminds me of Todoroki way back when," Kirishima said.

"He kind of reminds me of myself," Tokoyami turned away from Shinso.

"Nah, you're just quiet," Kirishima smiled and nudged his shoulder.

Tokoyami huffed and smiled, but he couldn't get over the thought. When they reached their stop, the three of them made their way back to the dorms, Shinso not saying a word to either of them. They split up before reaching the entrance, and both Tokoyami and Kirishima made their way into the building.

Despite being almost 10:00, the common area was full of people. Tokoyami forgot that it was a Friday, which meant movie night for their class. Midoriya spotted them both and waved.

"Hey guys! How was your-

A wave of shushing quickly silenced him. Whatever movie was playing had gotten everyone invested. People were leaning forward in their seats, even Mina and Kaminari, who usually never paid attention. Tokoyami noticed Momo and Todoroki sitting on one of the couches together. Momo rested her head on his shoulder, and neither of them seemed uncomfortable with it. Tokoyami remembered about the meditation practice, but decided now wasn't the best time to ask.

"Looks like the film might be halfway through," Kirishima nudged his shoulder, whispering, "You wanna stay and watch the rest?"

"Thanks, but I'm feeling quite tired," Tokoyami looked at him, "The fatigue's starting to catch up with me again. You can if you wish. I'm gonna head up to my room."

"Here, I'll walk with you," Kirishima smiled.

Tokoyami nodded and they both made their way to the elevator. The door closed, and they spoke in normal tones. Tokoyami started, blushing a little.

"I…had a really fun time tonight," he smiled at his friend while the elevator began to move, "Thank you so much Kirishima. I've been needing this."

"Anytime man," Kirishima grinned back, "This was a blast. Hey, maybe next time, we can ask Mina and Asui to come and we'll make it a friend's double date!"

Tokoyami chuckled at the idea. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Tokoyami walked out into the dark corridor, and Kirishima followed him.

"Aren't you heading back down?" Tokoyami raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well yeah, but you're not at your room yet, right?" Kirishima smiled.

"Ah, of course."

Tokoyami got butterflies in his stomach as they continued walking. Did Kirishima expect him to say or do something else? It would be awkward if he just walked into his room without saying a word. They got there, and Tokoyami paused. Not knowing what else to do, he turned around and offered up a fist. The redhead bypassed that and gave Fumikage the tightest hug. Tokoyami was taken off guard by this and let out a small grunt.

"I care about you bro," Kirishima spoke with a comforting tone, "You never have to be distant with me, alright? Don't forget that."

Tokoyami felt his heart melt a little, and he smiled. He hugged Kirishima back as tears welled in his eyes. Without warning, Dark Shadow emerged from his back and bearhugged them both.

"Warm fuzzy feelings!" the quirk shouted like a child.

"Not so hard!" Fumikage shouted at him, but he couldn't stop smiling.

"Yeah, you're crushing us!" Kirishima choked.

Dark Shadow let go of them. They both gasped for air and laughed, while the spirit remained suspended. Dark Shadow reduced his size just a tad and floated over to Kirishima. He gave him a soft headbutt before wrapping around his torso. Kirishima laughed even more at this and grabbed Dark Shadow's head. Tokoyami felt relieved and smiled as he wiped his eyes. It had been a long time since Dark Shadow acted so playful.

"I think he likes me," Kirishima pet the creature's head. Dark Shadow cooed and nuzzled the redhead in return.

"He doesn't act this way with everybody," Tokoyami said as he ordered Dark Shadow back, "Be proud of that. It means you've earned his trust as much as my own."

"I'm glad to have it," Kirishima smiled and waved at the duo, making his way back to the elevator, "Get a good night's rest dude! You'll need more if you want to fight Bakugou!"

Tokoyami nodded and waved back. He turned and opened his door, stepping into his room. Dark Shadow was still suspended, and the spirit nuzzled his beak. Tokoyami pet him while he closed the door.

Tokoyami froze when he noticed something staggering. The room, as well as the corridor he had just exited, were both pitch black.

And Dark Shadow was still under his control.

It didn't even dawn on him early that his environments lacked all light. His previous mood of contentment was immediately stripped away by this observation, replaced with a sudden excited anxiety. Dark Shadow started growing larger, and Tokoyami panicked. He quickly flipped out his phone and turned on the flashlight. Dark Shadow hissed at this and reduced his size.

"I wanna play!" the spirit hollered.

"Wait, let me think," Tokoyami said, holding up a hand to his quirk.

He analyzed the situation hard. Fumikage placed a hand underneath his beak, putting all the puzzle pieces together. Something had occurred that let him maintain control over Dark Shadow, even in the absence of light. But what was it? And why did it vanish when-

At that moment, everything came together, like a puzzle being reconstructed in a second. Fumikage grinned to himself, understanding exactly what it was that he'd been missing. Fate was trying to show him something, and he believed he'd finally found it.

"Dark Shadow, would you like to play a game?" Tokoyami asked.

The creature got excited, despite the weakening presence of light.

"Yes, let's play!" he cheered, "What game is it?"

Tokoyami walked over to his bed and sat down.

"The rules might sound a bit bizarre, so pay attention…"

When morning came, Tokoyami awoke feeling well-rested. It was a Saturday, which meant most students would either be studying and training on campus, or out busy with their internships. Hawks never enjoyed working on Saturdays, so Tokoyami had the day to himself.

Midoriya and Tsuyu promised to do some training with him before lunch out in the practice fields. Tokoyami got dressed in his costume and made his way out by 10:00am. However, when he arrived, Midoriya was alone.

"Is Asui not coming?" Tokoyami asked.

"She was called in by her internship," Midoriya explained, looking a bit nervous as he shifted uncomfortably, "Apparently there was an emergency flooding, but I don't know all the details. I hope everything goes ok."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Tokoyami sounded unconcerned, "Tsuyu is more than capable of handling these kinds of issues. They're lucky to have her."

Midoriya's nervousness faded, and he nodded.

"You guys sure have a lot of trust for each other."

"Indeed," Tokoyami began stretching his wrapped arms and changed the topic, "There's a new technique I want to try out. I developed it last night, but I wanted to give it a go on you."

Intrigued by this, Midoriya struck an excited smile.

"How does it work?" Midoriya asked.

"I'll show you," Tokoyami flipped his cloak off. He rolled it up and tied it around his torso like a belt. Midoriya's grin subsided.

"Wait a minute, don't you need that to protect your quirk from the light?" Midoriya questioned.

"It'll only get in the way with me moving around," Tokoyami explained as he crouched down. He took a fighting stance with one arm extended in front of the other, "Now then, I want you to attack me, full strength."

Midoriya seemed uncertain of this plan, but he went along regardless and held his fists up. He assumed a stance of his own. After a few seconds, Midoriya attacked and rushed Tokoyami.

"TEXAS," Midoriya brought his right arm back, charging up at twenty percent, "SMASH!"

Tokoyami sidestepped at the last second. The force of Midoriya's attack grazed him like a violent contained gust of wind. Darkness engulfed Tokoyami's arm, and Izuku quickly pivoted to face him, but the split-second opening was all Fumikage needed. He uppercutted the greenhead's gut and shouted,

"SHADOW GAUNTLET!"

The blow struck like a hammer. Midoriya's mouth and eyes were left wide as dinner plates. Tokoyami gasped at the boy's silent, shocked expression. The darkness on Tokoyami's arm subsided, and he quickly pulled his fist back. Midoriya hunched over and grabbed his stomach, stumbling back several steps. He struggled to breath and fell to his knees.

Tokoyami let out a silent swear and ran to his aide. He crouched down next to the boy and placed a hand on his back. Izuku gasped for air.

"I'm sorry, I should've tested this on a dummy first. Do you think you'll be ok?"

Midoriya didn't respond as he let his head hang low. Slowly, he lifted it up and grimaced hard.

"Ye-…yeah…" Midoriya exasperated, taking several breaths, "Just…didn't expect that."

Tokoyami grabbed his shoulders and helped him up to his feet. Izuku stumbled a little trying to keep his balance. He let out a weak laugh and grinned at Fumikage.

"Holy crap Tokoyami," he still held his gut, "That was insane! Your punch was so fast and strong, I couldn't even react. How did you do that?"

Tokoyami held up his arm and let Dark Shadow engulf it again.

"Unlike the Black Ankh, this technique only covers my arms and fists. It is exclusively an offensive attack, designed only to last for a few seconds at a time. This will allow me to use Dark Shadow's power without risk of him weakening to light-emitting attacks. Or, at least the risk will be vastly reduced."

Midoriya straightened up but left an arm across his stomach.

"Amazing," Midoriya spoke with awe, "By focusing your quirk's power and narrowing it down, you've increased your power without any drawback. That's amazing!"

"No, there is one significant drawback," Tokoyami explained while Dark Shadow's claw subsided from his arm, "This technique gives me no protection from Dark Shadow. However, if I'm ever going up against opponents with light-emitting quirks, that won't be an option anyway. It is ideal for those situations."

"I understand," Midoriya nodded, "That means the rest of it will be determined by your martial arts skills."

"Correct," Tokoyami responded, "However, there is another technique I've developed. Theoretically, it should provide a strong offense _and_ defense against any opponent or even group of opponents, including those with light-emitting quirks."

Midoriya's eyes widened with disbelief.

"Wait a minute, you created _two_ techniques in one night?" Midoriya's voice cracked, "How did that happen?"

"Let's just say I got lots of…enlightenment yesterday," Tokoyami chuckled, "Besides, the Shadow Gauntlet is just a narrowed down version of the Black Ankh, so it's technically only a modified version of an old technique. But this new one will be entirely different. Once I've got it down, it should bring out the full-extent of my current potential."

"It sounds incredible!" Midoriya beamed, "Can you show me?"

Tokoyami shook his head and held a hand up.

"I need to be patient with this one," Tokoyami explained, "I'll need to have near perfect control over Dark Shadow for it to work, which means I must learn to tame his power in the dark."

"So…it's meant to be used in the dark then?" Midoriya seemed confused.

"You misunderstand. The darkness is to challenge me. If I can master control over Dark Shadow in his most unruly state, I'll have no problem using this technique in the light."

Midoriya's eyes brightened and he nodded.

"That's actually a good idea."

"Let's hope so," Tokoyami crossed his arms. He looked at Midoriya's arm, still wrapped around his stomach, "Are you willing to practice, or do you wanna call it a day?"

"Yeah, I'll be ok," Midoriya let his arm down and struck a determined grin. He tightened his fists up, "I won't give you another opening like that!"

"We'll see about that." Tokoyami smiled and crouched down into a fighting stance.

The boys dueled for two hours before heading back to the dorms for lunch. On their way to their rooms to change, they made their way through the common area. They were halted by an unusual scene. Ida, Kirishima, Sero, Bakugou, and Jiro were all huddled around the television. The news channel played. Tokoyami and Midoriya let out small gasps when they saw the footage. Ida noticed them but said nothing. He only glanced with a solemn expression.

The channel onscreen showed a picture of Tsuyu's face, the same one on her Provisional License. The tagline read,

"Villain Involved in Crisis: Rookie Hero Gone Missing".

"They lost contact with her an hour ago," Ida spoke with a low voice, "Someone blew a hole in the dam to flood East Coast City and has been hampering rescue efforts. One of the News Choppers earlier was almost shot down. They're completely blind."

"No way…" Midoriya whispered.

Tokoyami felt his heart stop. His breathing picked up pace, and his arms shook violently. Kirishima saw this and looked at Tokoyami with a sad expression. Midoriya picked up on it too and placed a comforting hand on his friend's back.

Without warning, Tokoyami growled, knocked his hand away, and dashed out of the room.

"Tokoyami!" Ida shouted and vaulted over the couch, "Wait!"

Fumikage busted out the dorm entrance with Ida hot on his trail. The faster student caught up and grabbed him by the shoulder. Tokoyami turned to bark at him. Ida's sympathetic but stern stare made him hold his tongue.

"I know how you feel. But, you shouldn't run in there without thinking."

"Don't try stopping me," Tokoyami snarled, letting his anger get to him, "I'm a hero now. This isn't like that time with you and the Hero Killer. Don't draw false comparisons!"

"I'm not trying to. In fact, I'm going with you."

Tokoyami was taken aback by this and gawped at the taller student. Ida pushed his glasses up.

"As Class President, I cannot let a fellow student rush into battle alone when I know I can help. With my quirk, I can carry you there faster. We can head in together."

Tokoyami recollected himself and let his rage subside. He felt a tinge of guilt coming on at his impulsive reaction, but he crushed it down immediately. Now was not the time for politeness. He needed to focus.

"Your assistance is unnecessary," Tokoyami said, "I have a new technique that gives me flight ability. If this a flood we're dealing with, I don't think you'll be able to do much with your engines."

Tokoyami turned to walk away, but Ida tightened his grip.

"Fine, but I highly advise you take someone else with you," he pleaded, "There is a 90% chance that the villain or villains who caused this disaster will still be there when you arrive. If you run into them, you'll need backup."

Dark Shadow, impatient with the situation, came out of Tokoyami's chest on his own will and pushed Ida back.

"Stay out of our way, four eyes!" the shadow hollered, pointing a thumb to his chest, "I'm all he's gonna need!"

"Wait, Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami ordered the spirit back. He shrunk considerably and looked at his master, "He makes a fair point. We need to recruit somebody else."

"But who though?" the shadow asked, "Almost everybody is gone!"

"That's true, unfortunately," Ida put a hand underneath his chin, "The only people left are me and everyone back in the common room. Todoroki is at his internship, and Bakugou still doesn't have his license yet."

Tokoyami grumbled, feeling his anger rise again.

"Bakugou's mobility and power would be ideal for this scenario. With him, I'd have nothing to worry about. Curse that hotheads foolish barbarism!"

"There's nothing we can do about it," Ida said, "But you still need to take somebody. That leaves you Midoriya, Kirishima, Jiro, and-

"That's it!" Tokoyami snapped and ran past Ida, bumping into him while Dark Shadow subsided, "He'd be perfect!"

Ida let out a small grunt and ran after him.

 _"Tokoyami, this is so unlike you,"_ he thought to himself, _"You never act out on emotion like this. But I understand why. You care about the ones you love._ "

Tokoyami burst through the doors again and ran to the common room.

"Sero!" he shouted, "I hate asking this, but I need you to come with me!"

"Huh?" the student looked at him with his placid, frozen smile, "What do you need me-?

Before he could say another word, Bakugou knocked him on the head.

"Don't ask stupid questions!" the blonde roared, "He asked for your help, so don't be a fucking ass about it!"

"Alright, alright, I got it," Sero stood up from the couch, rubbing his head, "Jeez dude, it's not like I was gonna say no."

Sero ran over to Tokoyami. Fumikage stared at Bakugou, shocked by the blonde's outburst in his favor.

"Let me come too!" Kirishima yelled and stood up.

"No, I can only take one other person," Tokoyami held a hand up to him, "I'm sorry Kirishima, but your quirk won't help us here."

Kirishima gritted his teeth in frustration, but ultimately, he gave in and sat down. Tokoyami turned and ran with Sero following.

"So, how are we gonna get there?" Sero didn't even sound remotely concerned.

"I've got it under control," Tokoyami responded without looking at him.

They made it out the doors. Someone called out to them from the entrance.

"Oi, Birdhead!"

Tokoyami stopped and turned around. Bakugou stood holding the door open. He glared at Fumikage intensely, but it lacked the fury he'd been showing over the past couple weeks.

"We've still got a fight to finish," Bakugou said, "So don't you fuck this thing up and get yourself killed, got it?"

Tokoyami eyes lowered and his head bent down. He closed his eyelids all the way.

"Kirishima told you last night…" Tokoyami said.

"No shit," Bakugou growled, "but it's not like I didn't see it coming. You and Deku really sucked at being subtle about it. I'm not a fucking dumbass."

Tokoyami let out a small grunt and lifted his head.

"Very well," he spoke with resignation, "We will discuss this more when we return. I should have spoken up earlier. I was being too cautious about it all."

Bakugou let out a sharp tsk.

"We don't need to discuss anything. Just tell me when you're ready," Bakugou turned around to walk back in, "Go and save your girlfriend already."

Bakugou closed the door. Fumikage blushed just a bit as his eyes widened.

"Wait, you guys are dating?" Sero asked.

Tokoyami frowned and huffed.

"Of course not," he grabbed his cloak and swung it off, "Now then, this might seem unorthodox, but I need you to get close to me."

Sero raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok…how close are we talking?"

"Close enough so I can grab you from behind," Tokoyami explained, "Dark Shadow will take care of the rest. This might feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but you'll get used to it."

Sero looked at Tokoyami for five awkward seconds without saying a word. It took Tokoyami a moment to realize what he might have just implied. He blushed hard and closed his eyes, covering his face with one hand as he sighed heavily. Sero's grin widened.

"Didn't word that one very well, did ya?" he mocked.

"Look, just shut up and come on already!" Fumikage shouted, "We don't have all day!"

Sero laughed and walked over to him.

"Chill bro," he turned his back to Tokoyami and pressed up against him, "Nothing wrong with a little bromance."

Tokoyami ignored him and lifted his arms, shouting,

"Darkness, Fallen Angel!"

Dark Shadow emerged from his back and wrapped his arms around them both. He pressed them together.

"Wow!" Sero looked over his shoulder with a teasing grin, "That _is_ uncomfortable! You alright back there?"

"Stop talking," Tokoyami mumbled and then shouted, "Dark Shadow! Take us to East Coast City, on the double!"

"Ayo!" the entity hollered.

With lightning speed, the spirit lifted them into the air and dashed threw the sky. They flew over streets, parks, and neighborhoods at a dangerous speed. Tokoyami's eyes intensified.

 _"Hang on Asui,"_ he thought to himself, _"We're on our way!"_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello everybody! I know Tokotober has officially "ended" by this point, but that's not gonna stop this story! At this point, we should be past the halfway mark. This story has definitely gone on a lot longer than I initially thought, and I'm glad to see people are still enjoying it.**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy!**

On their way to the city, Tokoyami made a call to Hawks. He waited impatiently as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Hawks voice spoke through the line. He sounded like he had just woken up.

"Sensei!" Fumikage shouted.

"Oh, Tokoyami," Hawks grunted, "Good to hear your voice, I guess."

"We don't have time for banter," Tokoyami had to raise his voice over the wind, "East Coast City has been flooded by villains. The rescue team who responded is struggling to maintain control. I'm flying over right now."

"Really?" Hawks yawned, "Good for you. Was there another reason you called?"

"Don't play stupid!" Tokoyami barked, "You're the number two hero now! You should be helping!"

Hawks laughed over the phone.

"Helping? If they needed me, they would've called. I'm sure they can handle it on their-

"Hawks please," Tokoyami lowered his tone, "Tsuyu is with them, the one I told you about. She's there, and she's in trouble. I'm not asking for a hero right now. I'm asking for a friend."

Hawks didn't respond immediately. Tokoyami held his breath. Finally, he heard a heavy sigh over the line.

"Alright, what the hell. I'll be there asap."

"Thank you," Tokoyami sighed with relief, "I promise, I'll make this up to you later."

"You don't need to," Hawks huffed, "After all, I'm a hero, aren't I?"

The line cut off from Hawks end. Tokoyami put his phone back in his pocket.

"Does this mean we're getting more backup?" Sero raised his voice. His hair blew backwards and grazed Tokoyami's beak.

"It looks that way," Tokoyami's feathers fluttered, "However, we can't wait. Our search must begin the moment we arrive."

"Alrighty then," Sero looked forward, "By the way, how long have you been able to fly?"

"I learned this technique a few months ago. It's a long story."

"Sounds interesting," Sero looked back with his placid smile, "Also, not offense, but do you really have any idea what you're doing? What's the plan when we get there? Why did you bring me along?"

"The plan is to use our high velocity to scout out the area," Tokoyami didn't look remotely intimidated, "I brought you along because of your ranged ability. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can lift people with your tape yes?"

"It depends on how many people."

Tokoyami didn't respond to that. After roughly ten more minutes of flying, they arrived at the city. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow both gasped at what they saw.

"Oh boy," Sero's grin turned nervous, "that looks bad."

This was no ordinary flood. The streets were completely submerged by water. Most of the apartment buildings had been covered a quarter of the way up. Rivers ran between the buildings with cars, mailboxes, and garbage flowing at rapid speeds. Tokoyami closed his eyes and made a silent prayer. He then growled and opened his eyes.

"Dark Shadow, take us in," Tokoyami said, "We'll have to get lower to spot them. Be on the lookout for civilians and villains."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Sero's grin widened.

"Ayo!" Dark Shadow cheered, "Let's find her as soon as possible!"

They descended until they were right at the top of the apartment buildings, roughly sixty or seventy feet in the air. Tokoyami's heart beat ruthlessly against his chest as his eyes scanned the water. Sero felt it like a soft hammer against his back but said nothing. Dark Shadow peaked around from underneath Tokoyami's cloak.

"On the bright side, it doesn't look like any civilians were caught up in it," Sero noted, "Hopefully this'll just amount to lots of property damage."

"The villains must have attacked after rescue operations began," Tokoyami guessed, "I wonder if Tsuyu got left behind."

"It's possible she got captured," Dark Shadow sounded nervous.

"Yeah," Tokoyami's heart beat even faster, "That might be the case."

"Hey guys," Sero smiled back at them, "Come on, don't say that kind of stuff. You gotta stay positive. This is Tsuyu we're talking about. She probably stayed behind to help civilians."

Tokoyami's breathing calmed down a bit, and he nodded.

"Let's keep looking," he said.

The search continued and went on for another twenty minutes. They searched street after street but found nothing. Tokoyami started to lose hope. What if she had drowned? What if the villains didn't catch her, and she just died saving people? It wouldn't be the first time a hero died during a disaster. It was one of the highest causes of death among heroes, almost higher than death by villains and criminals. These troubling thoughts continued to torment him until Dark Shadow spoke to him in his mind.

 _"Stop that. She would never die to something like that. She's alive. We'll find her, one way or another."_

Tokoyami swallowed deeply and nodded. A minute later, they came to one of the last streets on the opposite side of town where they began. Sero spotted something in the distance, and gasped.

"There!" he pointed with a large grin, "Someone's holding on to the street lamp!"

Tokoyami's eyes widened, and Dark Shadow dashed over to them. Fumikage's beak formed a bright grin as he recognized the green outlier of the figure's costume.

"TSUYU!" Tokoyami shouted.

"Oi, keep your voice down!" Sero pleased, "The villains could still be here!"

Tokoyami ignored him. He felt he could cry with joy when the frog girl finally came into full view. She was gripping onto the post with one hand and supporting what looked like a wrapped-up infant with the other. They lowered until they were twenty feet above the lamppost, and Tsuyu looked up. Her eyes widened with joy, and she shouted,

"Tokoyami!"

"Hold on, we'll get you out of there!" he looked back at Dark Shadow, "Lower us down so we can pick her up!"

"No, don't come any close!" Asui hollered, "You might get pulled in the current!"

"She's right, we have to be patient," Sero said, "And I can't just lift her with my tape, not while she's got a baby in her hands."

"Damn it," Tokoyami swore and looked at Sero, "Any ideas?"

Sero thought for a moment and then smiled. He lifted his elbow and fired a line of tape at the pole.

"Use the tape to climb over to us," Sero grinned at her, "Don't worry, I made sure it won't be too sticky."

Tsuyu nodded and wrapped her legs around the pole. She then grabbed the tape and carefully hoisted herself on to it. With one arm and both legs wrapped around, she began slowly crawling up to them, keeping a solid grip on the bundle in her arms.

When she reached the halfway point, a jet engine roared behind them. Tokoyami looked over his shoulder and gasped. Sero looked as well, and Tsuyu froze.

A villain, dressed in some advanced black and red power suit with a jetpack, hovered only a few meters away. He crossed his arms and let out a boisterous laugh.

"What do we have here?" the helmet muffled and deepened his voice for added intimidation, "A couple of brats out on a stroll in my neighborhood. How adorable."

Tokoyami recognized the outfit from a few reports he'd glanced over in the past. From what he could remember, this man worked alone, and his motivations were unclear. He usually dove underneath the radar and used sabotage strategies to keep himself hidden from heroes and cameras. He'd also injured and even killed several pros over his career with his numbers being topped only by Stain. Tokoyami glared at him.

This man was not to be trifled with.

Without thinking, Sero used his other elbow and fired a line of tape at one of the apartment buildings.

"Let go of me." Sero said.

Tokoyami looked back at him, and Sero smiled.

"I'll take care of Tsuyu. You just keep the bad guy busy, alright?"

The villain howled with laughter and pulled a chain gun off his back.

"Keep me busy? You won't even last a second!" the chain gun began revving up, "Feel the power of a quirkless villain!"

Tokoyami growled, and Sero shouted,

"Do it now!"

Dark Shadow let go of Sero and left him suspended in air. He grabbed Tokoyami and dashed for the villain. The gunner was shocked by their speed. Tokoyami foot crashed against his helmet as they flew past him. The attack didn't appear to have any effect, and the man roared in anger.

"You little bastard!" his aimed his weapon, "Die!"

The chain gun opened fire. Bullets whizzed by Tokoyami and shattered apartment windows as he and Dark Shadow fled the man's line of fire.

"Damn it, the buildings!" Tokoyami hollered, "There could still be people inside. Dark Shadow take us higher!"

"Ayo!"

They soared high above the roofs. The rocketeer laughed maniacally as he chased after them, keeping up his barrage.

"Fools! You've abandoned your cover!"

The battle turned into a one-sided dogfight as Tokoyami dodged for his life. One of the bullets grazed his leg, and he cringed.

"Fumikage!" Dark Shadow shouted.

"It's just a flesh wound," he growled as more bullets soared by them, "This is bad. We have nothing to fire back with, and I'm not used to this technique yet. Damn it all, we should've practiced with it more!"

"I've got an idea," Dark Shadow mentioned, "Why don't we attack him?"

Tokoyami flinched and looked at his quirk as if he was crazy.

"With what exactly? We have nothing."

"We have the Black Ankh," Dark Shadow mentioned, "I can resist bullets and protect you in that form."

"But we can't fly while that's activated."

"No problem, we'll just have to line up a shot," the spirit cackled, "I'll be leaving the precision and timing up to you."

Tokoyami huffed and frowned.

"Alright then, I guess we have no other choice. On my command, we turn around and charge. Keep going for as long as you can and pull up the Black Ankh at the last second. If we're lucky, we should catch him completely off guard."

"Excellent," the spirit laughed, "Let's take him out!"

They descended until they were right above the rooftops. The gunfire pressed on, and a few more bullets grazed Tokoyami's arms. Finally, he shouted,

"NOW, ATTACK!"

Dark Shadow did a one-eighty and charged the rocketeer. The villain gasped and hesitated for a moment, before coming back to his senses. He laughed and opened fire.

"BLACK ANKH!"

Dark Shadow let go of Tokoyami and enveloped his body. The force created from their flight propelled them like a living rocket. Bullets bounced of Tokoyami body like rock pellets, and he crashed into the unsuspecting villain, tackling him. The chain gun flew out of his arm and into the rivers below. They landed on one of the apartment building rooftops with the villain's armor cushioning the impact. Tokoyami pinned the man down and was about to deliver a knock out punch, but the villain countered with a fast headbutt. Even with Dark Shadow's protection, the force was strong, and the villain used Tokoyami's daze to kick him off into the air. Tokoyami landed on his feet and stumbled.

The rocketeer stood and looked over his shoulder. His jetpack made a puttering sound and electrocuted with smoke coming out. He let out a large grunt and pressed a button on his right shoulder. The jetpack disconnected and fell off onto the ground.

Down below, Tsuyu finally reached Sero and climbed onto him.

"Great job," he smiled, "Now, climb the other tape and make your way to the-

Suddenly, the tape connecting them to the lamppost snapped.

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu shouted and gripped onto Sero, tightening her hold on the now crying infant.

"Oh crap, hang on!" he hollered and wrapped his free arm around Tsuyu.

They swung into the building, and Sero used his legs to stop their impact.

"You alight?" he looked at Tsuyu.

"I'm fine," the frog girl looked at the crying infant in her arm, and tried comforting her, "Shh, it's ok. I won't let you go."

Sero grunted and began climbing up the side of the building, reeling his tape in slowly. Without warning, there was a loud rip from the top. Sero's eyes dropped, and Tsuyu gasped.

"Aw man," Sero struck a wary smile, "Today's not my day."

The tape ripped completely, and they screamed as they fell. Tokoyami heard the cries, as well as the rocketeer. The villain smiled manically under his mask.

"NO!" Tokoyami hollered and ran while Dark Shadow grabbed him.

Before they could fly, something else zoomed by and grabbed the students right before they hit the water. Tokoyami stopped dead and looked up into the sky. He let out a small sigh and smiled when he spotted the red feathered wings.

"Took him long enough," Tokoyami grumbled.

The rocketeer let out a seething growl and hollered,

"HAAAAWKS!"

The hero carefully set the students down on one of the buildings. He flew over to Tokoyami and landed between him and the rocketeer. Hawks struck an amused smile.

"Holy shit," he placed his right hand on his hip and formed a feather sword with his left, "If it isn't the self-proclaimed Quirkless Villain. Long time no see, you maniac."

The rocketeer seethed with hatred as he tightened his fists. Tokoyami stood next to Hawks.

"Sensei. Let me handle this," he glared at the villain, "Get Sero and Tsuyu out of here."

Hawks looked at his student with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you crazy or something?" he noticed the blood dripping down Tokoyami's limbs, "This guy is responsible for killing many pros, and he's already injured you."

"I can handle it," Tokoyami pressed on, "I started this battle, and now I want to end it. I've already destroyed his flight capabilities. He's not going anywhere."

"Very well, but we'll take him on together."

"No, let me handle it alone!" Fumikage shouted.

Hawks flinched at that. Tokoyami didn't bother looking at him. His eyes were glued on the villain. Hawks looked back at the man for a few seconds. He then handed his sword to Tokoyami. The boy glanced at the weapon and stared at his sensei. The man grinned.

"You might need it."

Fumikage glanced back at the weapon and grabbed it. Hawks had only given him a few lessons, but it was better the nothing. He nodded and crouched into a stance. Hawks turned around and flew back to the other students.

Tsuyu was shivering from the cold river. Sero had taken the infant from her and was trying to warm her up by wrapping his tape around her body. She looked over at Tokoyami with concern while Hawks flew over to them.

"Alright kids let's head out." he said.

"Wait, what about Tokoyami!?" Tsuyu cried, "You have to help him!"

"I offered, but it looks like he wants to handle this one on his own," Hawks looked back at his student. He and the rocketeer were still staring each other down.

"No…" Tsuyu said as she closed her eyes, feeling sleepy, "We need to help him…"

Hawks walked over and grabbed her, lifting her up over his shoulder. Tsuyu didn't have the strength to protest. Hawks grabbed the infant from Sero as well.

"You two have done enough," he said as he looked at Sero, "C'mon, you can ride on my back."

"Actually, I think I'm gonna stay here," Sero looked past Hawks at Tokoyami, "I won't get involved, but I'll make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid." he then looked back at Hawks, smiling, "Just in case."

Hawks smiled and nodded.

"Alright, that actually makes me feel better," he stretched and flapped his wings, "Come back alive, both of you!"

Hawks flew off, and Sero took a seat on the roof. He crossed his arms and legs.

The rocketeer guffawed as Hawks flew away.

"You idiots," he sneered, "You pack of filthy, birdbrained morons! With your strength combined, you could've easily overpowered me. But now I have a chance! All I have to do is take you hostage, and nobody will touch me!"

Tokoyami huffed and spun his sword around. The villain extended both his arms, and a pair of blades stuck out from each.

"Today's heroes and villains think they're hot shit just because they're born with greatness," the man began, burning with rage, "They don't know what it's like to be born in this world without power! You think you're special because of your quirk, right!? You're not! Without that power, you're nothing but a raven-headed freak!"

"No," Tokoyami answered simply, "You're wrong. A quirk can be just as much of a curse as it can be a gift. For many such as myself, it is both."

The man scoffed and shook his head.

"Lies, all lies!" he cried, "We're born into power, and it is set from day one! But I alone will break this curse! I will make all equal under the sun!"

"By flooding cities and murdering heroes?" Tokoyami questioned, "Scum like you who use false narratives to justify their wrongdoings have no place in society, regardless of their quirks. You are a delusional fraud, even by villain standards."

"You dare speak as if you know me! As if you understand me!"

"You did the exact same thing to me," Tokoyami glared, "I'm only returning the favor."

The villain huffed and held up his blades.

"Very well then, _hero,_ " he cackled, "Attack me with your naturally born powers, and prove me right!"

"I've got a much better idea," Tokoyami straightened up, "I won't use my quirk, so long as you don't use any long-ranged weapons. Will fight man-to-man and see who is stronger."

The villain flinched at this. Dark Shadow protested from within,

 _"What do you think you're doing? You have nothing to prove to him!"_

 _"I'm not trying to prove anything,"_ Tokoyami gripped his sword with both hands, _"I'm practicing."_

Dark Shadow didn't respond to that. The villain waited for a moment before cackling.

"That is perfect!" he shouted, "Let's not wait any longer!"

The man let out a battle cry and charged Tokoyami. Their duel began. Tokoyami dodged the man's blades and parried with his sword, keeping his opponent at a fair distance. Despite the impressive quality of the weapons, Tokoyami could tell the villain was not very well experienced with them. He must rely more on his flight, range, and mobility. Fumikage waited for an opening and swiped at the man's loosely padded leg. He shouted in pain and stumbled backwards. Tokoyami pressed the attack and was about to land the finishing blow. At the last moment, the man lifted his wrist, and a large gust of fire blew straight for Tokoyami. Dark Shadow emerged on his own to protect his master, taking the full blunt of the attack while Tokoyami fell back. The spirit cried out in pain.

"Dark Shadow!" Fumikage hollered while the spirit withdrew back into him.

 _"I'm ok!"_ the quirk responded, _"It wasn't that much."_

Tokoyami growled at the man and looked at his sword. The feathers were burnt to a crisp. The villain laughed and fired his dual wrist flamethrowers into the air.

"You can expect me to play fair now!" he cackled, "And it looks like your quirk can't handle the heat! With my blades and my flame, I, the Quirkless Villain, shall cut and burn you down! What are you gonna do, you bastard!?"

Sero was watching the whole thing from a distance and was getting rather nervous. He sighed deeply and stood up, preparing to move in if things got bad enough.

Tokoyami threw the sword away and tore off his cloak.

"I didn't think we would be testing out this technique so soon," he spoke solemnly as he rolled his cloak up, "I was hoping to practice it in the dark first, but you've given me no choice."

Tokoyami wrapped the cloak around his waist like a belt. Both Sero and the villain were taken aback by this.

 _"What are you up to, Tokoyami?"_ Sero thought to himself as he tilted his head.

Tokoyami crouched down with his hands up, assuming what looked like some sort of Kung Fu position. Dark Shadow popped out of his back and help up his hands in the same manner, almost copying Tokoyami's movements. Sero grinned at this, and the villain took a few steps back, unsure of how to process this.

"Art of The Full Moon. Will of Tsukuyomi," both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow spoke in grim unison, "Behold, and bear witness to our Dance of Darkness!"

…

Tsuyu's hero agency set up a medical camp right outside the flooded city. Civilians were receiving medical treatment, and Hawks gave Tsuyu to one of the doctors. Her mentors came to her aide, overjoyed to see she was ok. They thanked Hawks repeatedly, but the hero passed it off, saying he wasn't the one they should be thanking. A few minutes later, Hawks heard shouting coming from outside the medical tent.

"Look! There's someone coming!"

Hawks quickly ran out the tent and looked to where everyone was pointing. It was Sero. The student used his tape to swing himself from building to building until he was outside the flooding. He was carrying a body, and Hawks didn't have to guess who it belonged. He flew to meet up with Sero, and the student landed right outside the camp, carrying an unconscious, bleeding, and smoke ridden Tokoyami with him.

"Oi, someone get a medic!" Sero hollered as he ran towards Hawks.

"How bad are his injuries?" Hawks asked as he grabbed Tokoyami from Sero.

"He got cut and burned a few times, but I don't think it's too bad," Sero responded, "But after their fight, Tokoyami just passed out. I'm not sure why."

" _After_ their fight?" Hawks asked as he and Sero ran back to the camp, "Does this mean Tokoyami lost? Did the villain escape?"

"Oh no, Tokoyami mopped the floor with him," Sero struck his placid smile, "I tied him up and left him on the roof, totally knocked out. But I wanted to make sure Tokoyami was ok, so I brought him here as soon as possible."

A group of field medics ran up and took Tokoyami from Hawks, carrying him back to one of the tents.

"So, you're saying he won then?" Hawks smiled at Sero.

"Won? Dude, it was a brutal beat down," Sero laughed, "Poor villain didn't even stand a chance."

"What did he do, exactly?" Hawks asked.

"It's hard to explain," Sero rubbed the back of his head, "I guess you could say he-

"Excuse me, Mr. Hanta!" a voice called out and cut their conversation short. Hawks turned around, and the student looked past him to see a field medic standing at the entrance of the medical tent, "We need to ask you some questions."

"Yeah, no problem!" Sero walked past Hawks with a grin, "I'll tell you about it later. You should probably go to take care of that villain."

Sero and the medic walked into the tent. Hawks watched them both before turning around and stretching his wings. He flew up into the air and made his way back into the city. He couldn't suppress his prideful smile, and that sense of admiration growing in his chest.

 _"Good work kid,"_ he thought to himself, _"I'm proud of you."_


	7. Chapter 7

**Howdy! Here's chapter 7. Got a lot of stuff to do this weekend and next week, so I'm not sure if I'll be postponing chapter 8 or not. Hopefully not. I know you guys are all waiting patiently, and I appreciate your patience.**

 **Please enjoy!**

Tokoyami came to and opened his eyes. He groaned and grabbed his head. It felt as if a hammer pounded away on the inside of his skull. An overhead light shined down from above. Fumikage pushed himself up with his forearms and discovered he was in a recovery room. He wore a hospital gown. A few bandages covered his arms, and he felt more underneath his gown. Tokoyami inhaled deeply as he rubbed his forehead, sitting all the way up.

 _"Dark Shadow…"_ Tokoyami spoke internally, _"Are you there?"_

The spirit emerged and let out a groan. He slumped down on Tokoyami's chest like a tired cat.

"Let's not do that again. I feel like I'm gonna hurl."

Tokoyami laid back down and stroked the creature's head.

"We weren't ready for it," Tokoyami admitted, "But we still achieved victory. At least, I believe we did. I don't remember much."

"We won," Dark Shadow said, "But, I don't know how we got back."

Tokoyami didn't respond. He quickly snapped up when he remembered something.

"Tsuyu!" he spoke loudly as Dark Shadow floated off of him, "Where is she?"

"Hawks took her back," Dark Shadow mumbled, "I'm sure she's fine."

"We need to make sure," Tokoyami threw his covers off and planted his feet on the ground.

Before he could stand, Fumikage cringed and shouted as he grabbed his head again. Dark Shadow copied his master in a similar fashion like he felt the pain as well.

"You idiot, we're in no condition to go anywhere!" the spirit hollered, and then he whined, "The whole world is spinning…"

Tokoyami waited for the pain to subside and then exasperated deeply.

"I guess migraines is one of the side effects," he panted for air, "Not only that, but my arms and legs feel limp."

The door opened suddenly. A nurse stood with a clipboard, and Dark Shadow subsided.

"Tsukuyomi!" she shouted, "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Where is Hawks?" Tokoyami ignored the question.

"He left after turning in the villain," the nurse approached him.

Tokoyami huffed and closed his eyes.

"Well, I guess it's still the weekend," he mumbled, "Is Asui-…I mean, is Froppy ok?"

"Yes, she is awake, but still recovering."

Tokoyami nodded, feeling more relieved.

"How long was I out?"

"Roughly seven or eight hours," she lifted a hand to him, but didn't touch, "Do you need something hun? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"It feels like a demon is clawing it's way out of the dark confines of my mind," he explained.

The nurse nodded and wrote down on her clipboard.

"I'll be right back," she turned around and walked away, "If you want to turn on the TV, the remote is on the table next to you."

As the door closed, Tokoyami grunted and fell backwards. He let his head and arms hang over the side of the bed. Dark Shadow crawled out of his chest and grabbed the remote. He clicked on the television, and the news station was the default channel. Tokoyami didn't watch, but he listened to the reporter.

"At the moment, there is no evidence that Gin Ryker, the self-entitled "Quirkless Villain", was working with any other organizations. According to reports, Gin has attacked both heroes and villains in his past encounters, a behavior very similar to the Hero Killer Stain from more than a year ago. Because of this, many have guessed that Gin is following in the Hero Killer's footsteps, but there is no confirmation."

The report continued. Tokoyami's interest spiked when he heard his name mentioned. He turned to the television screen.

"The rookie hero Tsukuyomi, a student from UA and an aspiring apprentice of the number two hero, singlehandedly took the villain down. According to testimonies from Hawks, his apprentice distracted and defeated the villain. Gin Ryker was of course responsible for injuring and killing many pro heroes in the past, and there are still speculations as to whether this is true. Some have accused Hawks of playing favorites with his student by intentionally giving him all the credit. However, Sero Hanta, a fellow student of Tokoyami who was present at the scene, gives his take here."

The camera switched to Sero standing out in a field with a reporter. Medical relief tents dotted the background, and the apartment buildings of East Coast City towered behind those.

"No, no, you got the wrong idea," Sero stuck his placid smile, "Tokoyami did all the heavy lifting. I just helped because he asked me to."

"You're saying it was his idea?" the reporter asked.

"All the way. The moment he found out what was happening, he didn't even hesitate. Nobody asked him. He just went on his own and asked me to tag along."

"And you trusted him?"

Sero's smile widened, and he shrugged.

"Trust's got nothing to do with it. That's just what a hero does. And if there's a hero who's selflessly running headfirst into danger without being asked, there's no way I can say no to them."

The screen changed again, but Tokoyami stopped watching. Dark Shadow felt the guilt stab his master's heart like a hot knife with that last line.

"What is it this time?" Dark Shadow sounded bored.

"Sero's wrong," Tokoyami explained, "I didn't act out of altruistic heroism. My motivations were entirely selfish. I only went because Tsuyu was in danger."

"You don't think he already knows that?" Dark Shadow asked, "That doesn't make you any less selfless. She was your friend."

"But I'm not a hero because of it," Tokoyami rubbed his forehead again, feeling the migraines coming back, "A hero needs to rescue others despite their personal connections. I only went to save one person."

"That's a load of crap and you know it," Dark Shadow crossed his arms, "If you saw anyone else in danger, you would've rescued them first. Tsuyu was just the spark that got you running. So what?"

"But I should go regardless of-

"Did you see anyoneelse from class rushing to help out?" Dark Shadow interrupted and got in his master's face, "You were the only one."

"But I can fly. The others would've-

Dark Shadow grabbed Tokoyami's beak with both hands and clamped it shut. Tokoyami's eyes widened, but he didn't order the spirit off.

"Stop…talking," the quirk glared at him, "You were a hero. That's it. End of story. Do you remember what Kirishima said? You must stop bringing yourself down all the time. And he's right. I'm sick and tired of it. It affects me as much as it affects you."

Dark Shadow let go of and reduced his size. He nestled up underneath Tokoyami beak. Fumikage blinked a few times before smiling at last. He stroked the creature's head.

"Sorry, I hate lecturing like that. I know I'm not one to talk."

"You're just saying what needs to be said," Tokoyami comforted him, "I don't know where I'd be without you, Dark Shadow."

A few minutes later, the nurse returned with Recovery Girl. The old lady struck a warm smile at Tokoyami.

"Hello dear," she walked over and grabbed Tokoyami's hands, looking up at him, "I'm so happy to see you're awake. The nurse told me you had a headache?"

"More like on and off migraines," Tokoyami explained as he grabbed the side of his head, "It's gotten a little better since I woke up but…it's still pretty bad."

She nodded and let go of his hands. She sat up in the office chair. The nurse handed her the clipboard before dismissing herself.

"It says here that you didn't suffer any injuries to the head," she flipped the paper back, "And Sero claims that you passed out after defeating the villain. Do you know why? Was your head hurting before or during the battle?"

"No, it didn't start until I woke up," Tokoyami shook his head.

"Can you guess why? And do you think it might be connected to you passing out?"

Tokoyami thought for a moment and grabbed both sides of his head and closed his eyes.

"I think…it might have something to do with the new technique I used."

Recovery Girl's smile disappeared.

"You mean this was self-inflicted?"

"I can't come up with any other explanation." Tokoyami opened his eyes again, "It would make sense too. I haven't had any time to practice this technique, so I'm not used to it."

"I see," Recovery Girl let out a small humph and jotted down on the clipboard, "Can you describe this new technique to me?"

"It's hard to explain…" Tokoyami wondered for a moment, "I guess you can say I connected with Dark Shadow's mind."

"Your quirk?" Recovery Girl seemed surprised, "But I thought your minds were already connected. That is how you control him, correct?"

"Not like this," Tokoyami shook his head, "Dark Shadow and I are connected, but he only listens to me, or acts on his own volition. Last night, after practicing and experimenting, I found a way to make our thoughts and actions almost completely synchronized, like a well-orchestrated dance. I only did it for a few seconds though since I felt tired at that time. However, it got me excited, and I planned on practicing it again later. But with the villain, I was forced to use it prematurely."

"And last night, did you notice any headaches? Did you pass out?"

"No, but like I said, it only lasted for a few seconds. It took me forever just to figure out how to do it. Honestly, I'm amazed we kept it going for so long."

Recovery Girl kept nodding as she furiously jotted down notes.

"After this mind link broke, you passed out?" she asked.

"Yes. It broke on its own," Tokoyami nodded, "Not only that, but it drained almost all my stamina in a short amount of time. I think that's partially the reason I passed out. My body just couldn't handle it. But I didn't get headaches until after I woke up."

"Alright, I think I understand," she took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, "This isn't the first time a hero has pushed themselves too far. And with your quirk, it might evoke special symptoms. I will schedule you for a CAT scan tonight just in case. Unfortunately, I cannot give you any medicine until after the scan."

"I'll handle it until then," Tokoyami nodded, "Before you go, can I make a request?"

"Of course," she smiled at him and put her glasses back on.

"If at all possible, may I speak to Asui?" he asked.

"I will see if I can get you two together," Recovery Girl hopped out of her seat, "She's been eager to see you as well since she woke up. But I cannot promise anything."

"Thank you,"

Recovery Girl tucked the clipboard underneath her arm and walked out of the room. Tokoyami laid back and continued to watch the TV. Dark Shadow emerged and watched with him, curling up on his master's chest.

Thirty minutes passed, and the door opened again. Tokoyami felt his heart race when he saw Asui standing with Recovery Girl. He kept his excitement down.

"I'll leave you two for now," Recovery Girl said as she walked out.

Tokoyami turned off the TV while Tsuyu sat down in the chair. She didn't make eye contact with him the whole way.

"Thanks for saving me, ribbit." she spoke like it was nothing.

"No need to thank a hero for doing his duty." Tokoyami nodded at her and smiled, "I'm glad you're ok."

Tsuyu didn't respond. She brought her knees up and hugged them against her chest, making sure to keep them tucked under her oversized gown. Tokoyami stopped smiling.

"I'm sorry for being such a burden," she said, "You and Sero almost got killed because of me, ribbit."

"Nonsense," Tokoyami frowned.

Tsuyu said nothing to that. Dark Shadow emerged and floated over to her. The frog girl closed her eyes and put a hand on Dark Shadow's face, pushing him back. Dark Shadow pulled away.

"Tsuyu…" Tokoyami began, "You don't need to feel-

"You almost died because I messed up," Tsuyu buried her face in her knees, no longer able to hold her tears back, "Don't say I shouldn't feel guilty about it."

Tokoyami almost spoke up, but he said nothing. He guessed this is what it felt like for others to be around him all the time. He thought about what to say. Making excuses for her was probably the last thing she wanted. It's the last thing he'd want.

"Well, I guess that means you'll just have to be more careful in the future."

Dark Shadow looked at him questionably, and Tokoyami gave him a reassuring nod.

"We're both heroes," he continued, "That means we're both putting our lives on the line constantly. There are good chances we'll be in scenarios where we've bitten off more than we can chew, like you did today. When that happens, we need to have faith that others will come to back us up."

Tsuyu looked up Tokoyami with bright red eyes. The boy smiled at her.

"I have absolute faith that, when that day comes for me, you'll come to my rescue."

Tsuyu's eyes widened, and her bottom lip trembled. She jumped up from her chair and nearly tackled Tokoyami onto his back with a massive bear hug. Tokoyami gasped and blushed as he placed his hands on her shoulders. The thin layers of their hospital gowns didn't provide much protection.

"Thank you…" she whispered and closed her eyes.

Tokoyami's blush deepened as he wrapped his arms around her. He expected her to let go quick, but instead Tsuyu tightened her grip, as if she was afraid she would lose Tokoyami the moment she let go. Tokoyami would've felt uncomfortable with anyone else. Not even Kirishima would hug him like this for so long. But with Tsuyu, he didn't feel tense or awkward at all. In fact, he discovered he enjoyed it quite a bit. Instinctively, he tightened his grip around her and rested his beak on her shoulder.

"Heh…" he let out a small laugh, "I've never been hugged like this before."

"Is it making you uncomfortable?" Tsuyu shifted a little.

"No, it's… it's quite nice," Tokoyami blushed a little as he said it, "I'm having a hard time letting go."

"So am I, ribbit." Tsuyu giggled.

They sat there for quite some time. Dark Shadow watched them but decided to let them have their moment. He sensed something in his master, a joy and comfort unlike any he'd felt before. Tokoyami spoke into her ear.

"I was so worried about you. When I heard what had happened, I felt sick to my stomach. I…I didn't know I could care about someone else this much."

Tsuyu loosened her grip a bit and smiled up at him.

"That's because you're a really great guy Fumikage. I saw that the first time we fought together. You act quiet and mysterious and distant, but I know that, deep down, you care more than most. You will put your life on the line when nobody else will, and when no one expects it. You're not just the Jet-Black Hero. You're Tsukuyomi, the Shadow Knight."

Tokoyami blushed with that last title.

"Shadow Knight?" he questioned.

"Just a little title I made up," she chuckled and closed her eyes, blushing a bit, "You don't have to use it if you don't like it, ribbit."

Tokoyami thought for a moment and then smiled back.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna keep that one."

Tsuyu hugged him for a few more seconds before letting go entirely. She sat down on the chair. Tokoyami let out a nervous laugh as he thought the situation.

"Alright, I have to ask," he beamed at her, "Tsuyu, are we still just friends?"

Tsuyu smiled with a blush of her own. A wave of butterflies flooded her stomach.

"I guess now it's kind of unclear," she admitted, "I don't know but…I think I might have feelings for you."

Tokoyami's insides lit up with fire. Dark Shadow kept in his laughter.

"I'm not sure either," Tokoyami kept up his composure, "But I enjoy your company more than most."

"Then maybe we should just spend more time together for now," Tsuyu smiled at him.

"I agree," Tokoyami nodded, "I would rather take things slow than jumping into something I don't understand. I've never actually been in a relationship before."

"Neither have I."

Tokoyami interlocked his fingers.

"That's not all," he continued, "There are...things I want to take care of first, and I don't want too many distractions. Not that I'm saying a close relationship would be a bad distraction, but still. I need to remain focused for now."

"I know what you mean," Tsuyu nodded, "It can just get in the way."

There was a long awkward silence, until Tsuyu finally smiled and spoke,

"So…we're just really good friends for now?"

"Yeah, that's perfect," Tokoyami's eyes lit up.

"Can I have your number, ribbit?"

"Absolutely," Tokoyami looked around for his phone, and his smile disappeared, "Wait…come to think of it, where's all my stuff?"

Tsuyu chuckled and stood up.

"I'll ask for it tomorrow when we head back," she turned around and made her way to the door, "I need to head back to my room, or the nurse will get mad, ribbit."

Tokoyami watched her leave. She opened the door. Before walking out, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Shadow Knight."

Tsuyu closed the door. Tokoyami was left speechless as Dark Shadow finally burst out laughing.

"Somebody has a crush!" the quirk spoke in a mocking tone and floated over to him.

"Shut up!" Fumikage dismissed him, but his blush remained, "You heard what she said. We're just good friends. Nothing's changed."

"Yeah, tell that to the red on your face," the quirk teased him and poked his cheeks.

Tokoyami slapped his hands away.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he said, "Now, please return already."

"Sure thing, _Shadow Knight,_ " Dark Shadow cackled and then withdrew back into his master.

Tokoyami let out a frustrated grunt and smacked himself in the head. Immediately, the migraines returned, and he cringed.

 _"Come on, keep it together,"_ he thought to himself, _"Don't get too distracted now. You've still got Bakugou to defeat. You can't let these feelings interrupt that."_

Tokoyami opened his eyes again and laid back down. Against his own will, a small smile formed on his face.

When morning came, Aizawa came and picked Tokoyami and Tsuyu up from the hospital. Shinso wasn't with him, and Tokoyami assumed the boy was busy. Tokoyami and Tsuyu didn't say much to each other. Neither student spoke about last night, and both acted as if nothing had happened. When they reached the train, Aizawa addressed Tokoyami.

"People have been talking about what happened yesterday," he began, "What you pulled off was no small feat. That villain was extremely dangerous."

"I'm just glad we managed to take him down," Tokoyami responded.

"Indeed," Aizawa nodded, "But from now on, I don't want you to leave the dorms without my permission, understood?"

Tokoyami flinched, and Tsuyu looked between them.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tokoyami asked.

"No, but my point is that a rookie hero defeated a strong villain on his own, and that's become public knowledge," Aizawa explained, "Why do you think that might be a problem?"

Tokoyami understood immediately and let his head drop. Tsuyu answered for him,

"It's because that makes him a big target?" she asked.

"Exactly," Aizawa nodded, "If you did it with a group or you were a well-renowned hero already, things would be different. But as a rookie, dangerous people who see you as a potential threat in the future will come after you. I have no doubt the League of Villains and other syndicates have added you to their watchlist. You can't afford to be caught alone."

Tokoyami said nothing to that. Tsuyu rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let it bother you too much. This isn't uncommon," he smiled, "If anything, it's a good indicator you'll become a strong hero in the future. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you," Tokoyami nodded, but didn't smile.

They arrived at the dorms. When they entered, Aizawa dismissed himself and walked back out of the building, saying he had other business to attend to. Tokoyami and Tsuyu made their way to the common room where half the class was hanging out.

"Oh, looks who's back!" Kirishima stood up from the floor where he, Bakugou, and three others were playing cards.

Kirishima ran over and got Tokoyami in a head lock, giving him a noggie.

"The Jet-Black hero triumphantly returns!" he cheered.

"Tsuyu!" Momo hollered and jumped up from the couch. She ran and hugged the girl tightly, "We were all worried sick."

"Ribbit," Tsuyu smiled and hugged her back.

Tokoyami broke from the headlock and, with a grim smile, summoned Dark Shadow.

"Oh shit!" Kirishima hollered and ran.

Dark Shadow let out a malicious laugh and caught the redhead. He wrapped around his neck like a snake.

"Hey come on!" Kirishima laughed and protested while Dark Shadow gave him a noggie, "That's not fair!"

Dark Shadow finally let him go, and the boy rubbed his now messed up head of hair. Tokoyami walked up to him and formed a Shadow Gauntlet with Dark Shadow's claw. He offered it up to Kirishima. The redhead grinned and hardened his fist before cracking it against Tokoyami's.

"Sero said you kicked ass out there."

Tokoyami looked over to the card game. The tape boy smiled and waved at him. Dark Shadow and Tokoyami both waved back.

Tokoyami's smile vanished when his eyes met Bakugou's. The blonde glared at him and nodded. Tokoyami glared back and returned the gesture.

"Tokoyami, Tsuyu!" Ida's voice called out from behind, and both students turned around. The Class Representative stood tall with a bold smile, "I'm glad to see you both returned safely."

Ida approached Tokoyami and offered a hand. Fumikage smiled back and shook it promptly.

"Ida, thank you for advising me yesterday," Tokoyami said, "If I hadn't taken Sero with me, we would've never succeeded."

"The way Sero put it, you did most of the work," Ida put his hands on his hips, "But you're welcome regardless."

Tsuyu walked over to Sero and smiled at the boy.

"Thanks for saving my life, ribbit."

"Thank Tokoyami," Sero grinned back, "It was his idea. I just tagged along."

Tokoyami and Tsuyu decided to settle down on the couch with Momo and gave their take on what happened. Everyone else went back to their business. Fumikage looked around and noticed that Izuku was gone.

"Where's Midoriya?" he asked.

"He was called in to his internship after the disaster occurred," Momo explained, "Shoto too. They've been there cleaning up sense last night."

"I should be with them," Tsuyu looked guilty.

"I think you've already done enough," Momo smiled and rested a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

"She's right," Tokoyami nodded, "We've pulled our weight. They can handle the rest."

"Thanks guys," Tsuyu smiled.

Their conversation continued until Tokoyami got a text from Aizawa.

 **Aizawa: If you think you're ready for tonight, let me know. I want to see how you defeated that villain.**

Tokoyami texted back,

 **Tokoyami: I'm ready. I'll make sure to prepare myself.**

Fumikage put his phone away and stood up from the couch.

"I've got business I need to take care of," he placed a hand on Tsuyu's shoulder as he walked away, "I'll see you guys later."

As Fumikage made his way to the elevator, he was stopped in the corridor.

"Tokoyami, do you have a second?" it was Momo's voice.

Tokoyami turned. The girl stood with her arms crossed.

"I know this may seem like a weird time to ask," she began, "After all, we've been so busy. But do you still want meditation lessons?"

Fumikage's eyes brightened up.

"Oh, that's right!" he tittered, "I almost completely forgot about that. Yes, if you're still willing to make the time."

Momo pulled out her phone and handed it to Tokoyami.

"Here, just add yourself to my contacts," she said as Tokoyami grabbed the phone, "I'll send you a text with times we can meet. Let me know if any of them work."

"Done," Tokoyami smiled and handed the phone back to her, "Thank you."

"Of course," she smiled and nodded to him, "Thank you for bringing Tsuyu back safely. We're all very proud of you."

As she walked away, Tokoyami made his way up the elevator. When he got to his room, there was a long box sitting at his door. Tokoyami picked it up and checked the address. It was from Hawks. Tokoyami walked into his room, closed the door, and sat down on his bed with the box. Using Dark Shadow's claws, he ripped the cardboard open. There was a note sitting on top of a large foam sheet. It read,

 _Seeing that you lost the one I gave you, I decided you should have one of your very own. Hopefully, with that in mind, you'll learn to take better care of it._

 _-Hawks_

 _PS: This is not a replica. I expect you to use it._

Tokoyami removed the foam sheet. Both he and Dark Shadow were struck with awe. A Katana with a black blade and a blood red handle sat on the inside nestled next to a belt and scabbard. Tokoyami stood up and grabbed the blade with both hands, holding it in front of him. Dark Shadow let out an impressed laugh and crossed his arms.

" _Now_ you can call yourself the Shadow Knight." he said.

"Yeah," Tokoyami smiled and swung the blade a few times, "It looks that way."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKK!**

 **It feels so great to be writing this story again. I know I've been gone for a whole season, but I'm back and ready to rumble!**

 **Really had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter 8

Tokoyami got butterflies in his stomach as he walked down one of the dormitory halls. Dark Shadow must have felt it and commented,

" _This is a bad idea."_

 _"Calm down"_ Tokoyami responded as he shut down the feeling, _"It'll be fine."_

A few days had passed since the battle with the Quirkless Villain. Tokoyami had fully recovered and returned to his normal training regime. Tokoyami showed his new technique to Aizawa sensei. He was impressed to be sure, but Aizawa said he had a long way to go in mastering it. That was when Fumikage turned to Momo for help.

" _Yaoyorozu was supposed to be teaching you!"_ Dark Shadow protested, _"Why do we have to do it with him!?"_

 _"Because Momo referred us to him. He has more experience with meditation, and I'm not too picky on who my teachers are these days."_

Dark Shadow groaned and poked out of Tokoyami's chest.

"I still don't like it,"

"You don't have to like it," Tokoyami glanced down at his quirk, "You really think I'm comfortable with this maneuver? It's either this, or we find someone else we must pay. At least he offered it for free."

Dark Shadow sighed.

"Fine, but only if it means getting control of our dance. If nothing changes, promise me you'll stop going?"

"Of course, that's not even something I have to promise," Tokoyami stopped as he reached the door, "We're here."

"Good luck," Dark Shadow retracted back into his master.

Tokoyami swallowed and cleared his throat. He knocked three times and waited. The door opened. Todoroki stood wearing a white Hanfu Tea shirt and black sweat pants. Tokoyami clasped his hands together and bowed. Shoto returned the gesture.

"Are you ready?" Todoroki scanned Tokoyami's clothing. He wore a white tank top and black pants. Oddly enough, he also wore his new sword katana on his waist, "I guess you didn't have a Hanfu."

"Unfortunately, not. I apologize for the informality of my apparel,"

"Don't worry about it," Shoto stepped out of the way for Tokoyami to walk in, "Meditation isn't that formal of a process anyway."

Todoroki closed the door behind him as Tokoyami looked around the room. The place was very neat and organized. The orient style furniture didn't look like it had a stain or scratch on it. Tokoyami guessed Shoto made sure it was given proper maintenance every day. There were two mats with a red cushion on each, surrounded by a series of incense burners that filled the room with an elaborate fragrance. Tokoyami heard water falling down rocks and spotted a small orient fountain on Shoto's desk. Todoroki got down on his knees on one of the mats and invited Tokoyami to do the same. Tokoyami obliged and sat down.

"I'm going to assume you've never done this before," Todoroki said.

"Prayer is the closest I've come to it," Tokoyami admitted, "Although I'm guessing the two are quite different."

"You assume correctly," Todoroki nodded, "Meditation is less about connecting with the supernatural and more about connecting with yourself. It's a highly cognitive process that requires a deep level of concentration."

"I thought you had to clear your mind for this."

"You do," Todoroki nodded, "That's why it takes so much concentration. Being clear-minded does not come naturally to human beings. It takes a conscious effort. However, you must also find peace with yourself and your surroundings. If you try to force your thoughts away, it won't work. It requires a balance."

"I've already learned that trying to control my emotions through force is a bad idea."

"Good, then you have some understanding," Todoroki sat crisscrossed and placed his hands on his knees, "First, you must find a sitting position that you're comfortable with. Some people prefer holding their thumb to their index finger. I simply rest my hands on my knees like so. What do you prefer?"

Tokoyami thought about it before clasping his hands together as if he were praying. Todoroki nodded in approval.

"Now then, close your eyes," Tokoyami mimicked Todoroki's actions. They both took a deep breath through their nose, "Clear your mind of all things. Your anxieties, anticipations, stresses, all of them. Leave them behind, as if dropping your accommodations before entering someone's home. Relax. Focus on your surroundings. Focus on your breathing, on the sound of the fountain, and on the smell of the incense. Let it all flow like water through a river bank."

Tokoyami did as he was told. He took slow, deep breaths through his nose. He heard the fountain and smelled the incense. He let his thoughts drift away and-

"Hold on a second," Dark Shadow poked out of Tokoyami's back with his arms crossed.

"Dark Shadow," Tokoyami looked back as Todoroki opened his eyes, "Why are you interrupting us?"

"If we're going to do this, we're doing it together," he said, "You really expect me to stay quite this entire time inside your body? No way. I'm meditating as well."

Tokoyami looked at Todoroki for confirmation. He looked at Dark Shadow for a few second before shrugging and nodding.

"I don't see why not," he closed his eyes again, "That's one strange quirk you've got, Tokoyami."

"Up yours Half-in-Half," Dark Shadow mocked him as he hovered directly above his master and resumed a similar prayer stance with his hands.

"Don't be rude," Tokoyami closed his eyes again, "Now focus."

Dark Shadow let out a short humph and closed his eyes.

The three of them said nothing. Only the sound of the fountain filled the room as they remained silent. Tokoyami struggled at first to let his thoughts go, but having Dark Shadow attempt the meditation as well helped significantly. Tokoyami could feel both their thoughts drift away as they focused on the sounds of the fountain and the smell of the incense. It was a strange yet oddly satisfying sensation. Tokoyami could almost feel himself drawing closer to Dark Shadow, and his quirk felt the same. With every passing minute, each of them felt the other to be more of extension of their self, rather than a separate individual. Slowly, master and quirk could feel their minds melding together like two ingredients in a mixing bowl.

After ten minutes, it happened. Neither of them could describe the experience, but they knew it happened. Or more specifically, _he_ knew that it happened. He opened his eyes and stood up. Shoto heard Tokoyami move and opened his eyes as well.

"Tokoyami, our time isn't-

Todoroki's eyes widened as he let out a short gasp. Both Dark Shadow and Tokoyami's eyes were grey and eerily lifeless. Instinctively, Todoroki stood up and took a few steps backwards, feeling cautious. Tokoyami already had a bizarre quirk, and he didn't know what it was capable off.

"Tokoyami?" Shoto asked as he tilted his a little, "Are you alright?"

The raven-headed boy said nothing. He lifted his right arm, and his quirk mimicked his movement. They both punched the air. Shoto's arm lit up with fire, ready to blast if necessary.

Without warning, Tokoyami started punching and kicking to his left and right. Amazingly, his quirk followed his every movement in a perfect synchronization. Dark Shadow kept diving in and out of Tokoyami's body at a lightning fast pace, as if dodging invisible attacks and coming out with fast counters. Shoto watched the performance with amazement for a full minute. After the minute was over, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow's natural eye colors returned. Fumikage collapsed on his knees, gasping for air with sweat covering his brow. Shoto walked over to them both.

"That was it!" Dark Shadow cheered and threw his arms up, "We didn't pass out this time, and my head doesn't even hurt. You were right Fumikage. The meditation works!"

"Don't get too excited," Tokoyami panted for air as he wiped his brow, "It took us ten minutes to reach that state, and we only lasted for one. We need to get to a point where it takes us one minute, and we _last_ for ten."

"What was that?" Todoroki asked, "It was almost like you two were one being. Is this a technique that you learned?"

"Yes," Tokoyami stood up straight as he caught his breath, "It's called the Dance of Darkness. For it to work, Dark Shadow and I must have perfect synchronization and control over one another."

"So, this is what you've been working to with your martial arts," Todoroki immediately put it all together, "That's why you came to me for meditation lessons. You wanted better control over your thoughts."

"Correct, and I've got a long way to go," Tokoyami looked at Shoto with uncertainty, "Will you continue to help me, even if you understand this will make me stronger?"

"Is that even a question?" Shoto raised an eyebrow, "Of course I'll help. It's not like I'm worried about you getting too strong."

Tokoyami clasped his hands together and bowed.

"Many thanks Todoroki," he stood up fully, "Now, shall we continue?"

"Before we do, I'd like to know more about this technique," Todoroki crossed his arms, "If I'm gonna be indirectly helping you with it, I feel like I have a right to know the details."

"Of course. As I said, this technique gives us 100% synchronization. This means that, rather than having to command Dark Shadow and him having to listen, we become more like extensions of each other. Our reaction time, focus, and overall ability is tripled. Speed and mobility are also greatly improved thanks to this. Strength remains roughly the same, but I have other techniques in the works for that."

"Sounds like you have a real ace up your sleeve now," Shoto noted.

"It's still very early in development. I can't do much good if it takes ten minutes to build up. If we try forcing a connection like when we did against the last villain, the strain on our minds will be far too great, and we'll pass out afterwards."

Shoto nodded and struck a small smile.

"You know, you've really changed quite a bit," he said, "So much drive and determination now, it reminds me of Midoriya. Tell me, where is it all coming from?"

"Can you take a guess?" Tokoyami asked.

"Given you were nervous that I wouldn't help you meditate after showing me this technique, I assume you're trying to surpass me."

Dark Shadow laughed

"Don't get your hopes up," Dark Shadow crossed his arms, "Your only number two on our list. Spikey hair is our first target."

"Bakugou, huh?" Shoto nodded, "Yeah, that figures. He's really the worst matchup for you, even than me. That's quite a bar to pass. You've definitely got your work cut out for you."

Todoroki sat back down, and Fumikage followed. They got back into their positions and closed their eyes.

"When we reach our transient state," Tokoyami spoke, "Just ignore us. I want to test how long it can last."

"No problem, as long as you don't bother me."

After an hour of meditation, Tokoyami and Shoto went to breakfast together. Fumikage offered to sit with him and Kirishima while they ate. Todoroki turned him down, saying he'd rather not be within twenty feet of Bakugou. Fumikage understood and bid him farewell as he went and sat down with Kirishima and Bakugou. Kirishima greeted him warmly, but Bakugou gave him a suspicious look.

"What were you and Icey-Hot doing together?" he asked.

"Todoroki is teaching me how to mediate," Tokoyami bit into his apple.

Bakugou grumbled and rolled his eyes.

"First martial arts, now meditation," he scoffed, "What, you gonna start learning how to dance next?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm already working on my own dance," Tokoyami struck a grin, "Thank you for asking."

Bakugou let out a sharp tsk.

"You know, you were a lot cooler before you started doing all this," Bakugou sounded genuinely disappointed, "What happened to your badass, gothic persona? You really giving that up just so you can beat me?"

"What are you talking about?" Kirishima looked at Bakugou questionably, "Tokoyami's still badass! How does meditation and martial arts change that?"

"It's not what he's doing, it's why he's doing it," Bakugou glared at Tokoyami, "I always took you for a staunch individualist who did things on his own terms. But now you're so petty that you'll take up alien practices just to beat one guy you have a personal vendetta with."

"That has nothing to do with it," Tokoyami glared back, "I hold no grudge against you, not anymore. I'm only setting a goal to surpass."

"Bullshit." Bakugou deadpanned.

Tokoyami flinched at that. Bakugou leaned forward in his seat.

"If you're really setting a bar to pass," he began, "Why the hell did you set it so low?"

Kirishima spit out as his drink and coughed. Tokoyami stared at Bakugou with a wide-eyed, dumb look. Kirishima laughed as he pounded his chest.

"That's funny!" he said, "I didn't realize you could tell jokes Bakugou."

"I'm not joking,"

Kirishima's grin vanished as he looked at his friend with wide, terrified eyes.

"Hey uh, you alright man?" he asked, "You're kind of freaking me out right now."

Tokoyami was left speechless for a few moments before saying,

"Bakugou, what are you saying? You can't possibly mean that you're weaker than me."

"Of course not dumbass, you miss my point,"

"I don't understand…"

Bakugou huffed and shook his head.

"I can't believe it…" he said, "Do you really lack that much ambition? How do you expect to beat me when that's the highest your willing to set your goal?"

"Well it's…it's not my _only_ goal, but-

"Let's get something straight birdhead," Bakugou interrupted and stared daggers into Tokoyami's eyes, "You'll never beat me, not in a million, _billion_ years if that's your goal. You better be willing to set the bar much higher than that."

Tokoyami blinked and shook his head in baffled confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "Bakugou, where should my bar be?"

"You wanna catch up with me, you gotta head where I'm heading," Bakugou grabbed his empty plate and stood up, "The #1 hero, nothing less. And ironically enough, the current one has a quirk that directly counters yours. That should be enough, right?"

Tokoyami didn't know what to say. He had always thought of becoming a hero, but the number one spot had never even crossed his mind. Could he do it?

"Bakugou," Tokoyami began, "I don't care about becoming the #1 hero-

"Then you'll never beat me, simple as that," Bakugou turned, but before he walked away, he finished, "You can't expect to catch up with someone whose goalpost is higher than yours, so you better just give up now. And I don't see _why_ you've never thought of it. You have a strong enough quirk for fucks sake, so why hold yourself back?"

Tokoyami and Kirishima watched him walk away with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Did…did _Bakugou_ just give you solid, logical advice?" Kirishima asked.

"I think so," Tokoyami responded as he looked back down at his plate, "I hope the universe isn't unraveling."

Tokoyami pondered over what Bakugou had said to him for the rest of the day. He couldn't get it off his chest, and on his way to class, he talked it over with Dark Shadow.

 _"What do you think that was?"_ Tokoyami asked, _"Is he trying to help me?"_

 _"I seriously doubt that,"_ Dark Shadow responded, _"If you want my opinion, I think he's just trying to intimidate and discourage you. It certainly wouldn't be the first time."_

 _"I suppose…"_ Tokoyami paused and asked, _"Do you think I could do it?"_

 _"Do what?"_

 _"Do you think I could become the #1 hero?"_

Dark Shadow let out a triumphant laugh.

 _"With my help, you can become whatever you want!"_ he said, _"No goal is outside our reach. I can tell you that for sure!"_

Tokoyami chuckled at that, but he still didn't know for himself. He continued to think on the question until the sparring sessions for that day began.

All of class 1-A gathered outside in their PE uniforms. Aizawa led them to one of the chalk arena's and had them sit down on one side. He walked to the center of the ring.

"I'll be selecting two fighters to spar at random," he began, "You may use your quirks and any other skills to either knock you opponent out of bounds or pin them to the ground. Well start with the first round. Bakugou and Tokoyami."

Fumikage felt his heart stop. He looked at Aizawa confusedly while Bakugou stood up and entered the ring. Surely, sensei knew he wasn't ready to take Bakugou on. What on earth was he thinking?

"Tokoyami," Aizawa spoke more sternly, "I called your name. You're up first."

Tokoyami awkwardly stood up and walked into the ring. He and Bakugou stood on each side of Aizawa and stared at each other.

"Shake hands," his students obeyed, "Stand on opposite sides of the ring. The round will begin on my mark."

"Sensei," Tokoyami spoke in a low voice while Bakugou walked to his side, "I…"

Tokoyami said nothing as he stared into Aizawa's eyes. The man looked as if nothing was out of the ordinary and didn't even give him a sign that this was a mistake.

"Is there something you wish to say Tokoyami?"

"No, I'm fine," Tokoyami turned and walked to his side.

 _"Crap, this is bad,"_ Dark Shadow spoke, _"Our dance isn't even close to ready yet! What do we do?"_

 _"Calm down, we'll figure it out,"_ Tokoyami swallowed deeply and assumed a fighting stance while Aizawa walked over to the rest of the students, _"We have to be smart and thorough, plan things out and think one step ahead of him. We'll start with-_

"Begin!" Aizawa shouted.

Bakugou launched himself with an explosion. Tokoyami swore and yelled as he just barely managed to dodge the blonde's incoming attack. Bakugou was right on top of him, and he wasn't about to let down.

 _"We have to use the Fallen Angle!"_ Dark Shadow said as Tokoyami desperately dodged Bakugou's explosions, _"We get a speed and maneuverability advantage on him!"_

 _"No, I don't have my cloak, which means you'll be too exposed to the sun!"_ Tokoyami hollered as one of Bakugou's explosions grazed him, _"Besides, this ring is too small. I don't have good enough control for tight spaces. We'd end up flying out of bounds. We'll use the Shadow Gauntlets instead."_

 _"Are you crazy!? He's way too fast! You'll never hit him with that!"_

 _"Better than opting for a war of attrition that I'll inevitably lose. It's all we got right now. I can't use the Black Ankh without putting you at risk. I just need a few precision strikes. Get ready on my command!"_

Tokoyami tirelessly dodged Bakugou's explosions one after the other. He thanked the gods he'd been training with Aizawa and Shinso in the arts of evasion. Fumikage waited for an opportunity to strike Bakugou, but the blonde did a marvelous job at keeping himself covered. Tokoyami finally lost his patience and Let Dark Shadow's claws engulf his hands. He only hoped his attack would be faster. He dodged one more explosion and shouted,

"SHADOW GAU-!"

Tokoyami's voice cut off as his fists collided with Bakugou's. Two earsplitting explosions went off, and Dark Shadow howled in pain from within as he drew his claws back. Tokoyami's ears rang as the explosions temporarily stunned him. Bakugou gripped Tokoyami's hand has hard as he could and headbutted the boy backwards. Tokoyami stumbled, and instinctively, Dark Shadow emerged to protect his master. A few well-timed explosions followed by a flash grenade were enough to put the beast out of commission. Bakugou grabbed Tokoyami's chest by his shirt, pulled him off his feet, and yelled as he slammed him into the ground.

Every stared speechless at the conclusion of the horribly unbalanced fight. Midoriya and Tsuyu looked more shocked than anyone else. The match was barely even a fight. Tokoyami didn't pull off a single successful attack. Bakugou stood to his feet and, in a rare sign of sportsmanship, offered Tokoyami his hand. Fumikage grabbed it. Bakugou lifted him halfway up before punching him back into the ground. Everyone gasped at this.

"Oi, Bakugou!" Iida stood up, "That's poor sportsmanship. Show respect for your opponent!"

Bakugou ignored him. Tokoyami coughed, clearly out of breath and dazed. Bakugou lifted his foot up and slammed it into Tokoyami's chest, grinding his shoe into the boy. Iida growled and was about to step into the ring before Aizawa put a hand up to him.

"Sensei," Iida spoke with a pleading voice, "You can't possibly condone this behavior! Sensei?"

Aizawa said nothing as he continued to watch the boys. Bakugou looked down at Tokoyami with total contempt. Fumikage didn't even look back at him. Finally, Bakugou lifted his shoe off, and Iida backed down just a little.

"Like I said," Bakugou spoke, "Not in a million, billion years."

Bakugou turned and walked back to the rest of the class, taking a seat next to Kirishima. He looked back and forth between both of his friends, feeling extremely conflicted and angry. Aizawa let his arm down, and Iida ran over to Tokoyami. He grabbed his shoulders and helped lift him up.

"Are you alright?" he asked, "Does anything feel-?

Tokoyami shoved Iida backwards, nearly pushing him over. Iida was about to ask what was wrong, but he paused when he saw tears trailing down Tokoyami's face. Midoriya gasped, and Tsuyu covered her mouth with her hand. Fumikage did everything he could to keep a straight face, but it was obvious to everyone he was hurt. He walked over to Aizawa and asked in an incredibly low voice,

"May I please be excused for the rest of the session?"

Aizawa waited for a moment before nodding. Without saying a word to anyone else, Tokoyami wiped his eyes and made his way back to the dorms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Starting school next week for summer classes. Hopefully I won't see another long delay on this story. I feel I'm getting REALLY close to the end on this thing. Just a few more chapters and I should be good to finally be done. I really, REALLY wanna finish this thing.**

 **Anyway, here's chapter 9! Hope you guys enjoy, and as always, feedback is appreciated!**

* * *

Chapter 9

"Tokoyami?" Shouji knocked on the boy's door, "It's me. Please open up."

No answer. Kirishima stood awkwardly nearby, scratching the back of his head. After the incident with Bakugou, Tokoyami stayed in his room for the rest of the day. The next morning, he still hadn't left his room. That night, Aoyama claimed to hear howls of anger and crashing furniture coming from his room. The incident spooked him quite a bit, and he ended up sleeping in someone else's room. Kirishima asked Shouji to speak to him, not feeling comfortable with doing it himself. He and Fumikage may have been friends, but Kirishima's close friendship with Bakugou made things uncomfortable to say the least. Shouji sighed and closed his eyes, placing a hand on the door.

"Can you at least say something?" he asked, "Let us know you're ok?"

Just then, Dark Shadow slid underneath the door, causing both boys to jump back.

"Be gone!" he hissed, "Tokoyami doesn't wish to speak to anyone right now."

Before Shouji could respond, Dark Shadow was back under the door and out of sight.

"Maybe we should just let him be," Shouji turned to Kirishima, "Wait for him to cool off a bit."

"He was cooling of all night," Kirishima sounded frustrated. He finally mustered up the courage and stepped over to the door, "Oi, Tokoyami! You can't just shut everyone out like this. We're your friends, and we're all worried about you! I know you suffered a defeat, but that is no reason to stop pressing forward! You must get back on your feet and-

Dark Shadow popped out from the door again, much larger than before. He towered over both boys.

"LEAVE US!" he growled like a beast, "NOW!"

Kirishima thought about standing his ground for a moment, but Shouji turned and grabbed his shoulder.

"Come on," he said, guiding the redhead out, "Let's go."

As they made their way to the cafeteria for breakfast, Kirishima kept looking back.

"Don't worry, I've got an idea," he said, "I think I know someone Tokoyami might be willing to speak to."

They reached the cafeteria, and Shouji looked around for a certain green haired girl. He found her sitting down with Ochaco, Midoriya, Momo, and Todoroki.

"I'm gonna go find Bakugou," Kirishima looked back at him, "You sure you can handle the rest of this on your own?"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Shouji responded, "I know Fumikage better than you."

Kirishima nodded and started to walk away.

"Wait a minute," Kirishima paused, and Shouji looked at him, "Are you going to say anything to Bakugou?"

Kirishima flinched at that.

"What?" he asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Shouji's eyes lowered, "You saw how he treated Tokoyami yesterday. That wasn't just bad sportsmanship. That was utter humiliation."

"Lecturing students is Iida's job," Kirishima responded as he looked over to Bakugou's table, "Confronting him about it wouldn't solve a thing. You may know Tokoyami better than me, but I know Bakugou better than you. And I can say for certain that what he did yesterday wasn't out of malice or contempt. That was something else entirely."

Shouji raised an eyebrow at this. He wanted to ask questions, but instead sighed and shrugged it off.

"Alright, I'll trust your judgement on this," he turned around.

"Thank you," Kirishima smiled as he walked away, "And thanks for helping me!"

"No need to thank me for helping a friend," Shouji spoke under his breath as he walked away.

Shouji made his way to the table. Ochaco paused her eating and looked up at him.

"Hey Shouji!" she struck a small smile.

"Ochaco," Shouji acknowledged her, "Pardon me for asking, but have any of you guys spoken to Tokoyami recently?"

"What do you think?" Todoroki didn't bother looking at him as he ate, "He hasn't spoken a word to anyone sense yesterday. Didn't even bother saying he wouldn't be coming to meditate with me this morning. Not that it matters. I assumed he wouldn't."

"I tried texting him a few times but…" Midoriya looked away.

Shouji wasn't surprised by any of this. What he was somewhat surprised by was Tsuyu pushing her chair back and standing up. The others looked at her.

"I'm gonna go talk him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Momo asked, "Aoyama said he sounded quite furious."

"Tokoyami would never lay a hand on me," she spoke without pause, "Nor anyone of us, for that matter."

"Here, I'll go with you," Shouji said, "I'm not eating until I know he's ok."

Tsuyu nodded, and she looked back at Ochaco.

"You mind taking care of my dishes, ribbit?"

"Not at all," Ochaco smiled and tightened her fists, "Go get em Tsuyu!"

Shouji and Tsuyu walked out of the cafeteria and up to Tokoyami's room. On their way, Shouji spoke,

"I was heading over to the table for your help. I already tried speaking to him on my own."

"And?" Tsuyu looked at him.

"His quirk practically threatened me and Kirishima," Shouji let out a small chuckle, "Guess it was less than successful."

"At least you tried before I did," Tsuyu said as she clicked the button to the elevator, "I just didn't know what to say."

"Do you _still_ not know what you're gonna say?" the elevator door opened, and they both walked in.

"I don't think the words are that important," the elevator door closed as Tsuyu continued, "Right now, Tokoyami shouldn't be alone. That's what really matters."

Shouji nodded in agreement, and the elevator door opened. Both walked over to Tokoyami's door. Tsuyu took a deep breath and knocked.

"Tokoyami, it's Tsuyu," she spoke, "Can I please come in?"

There was no response. Shouji worried that this would be no different than before, but then Tokoyami spoke in a haggard voice,

"Asui?" he called.

"Fumikage," Tsuyu acknowledged his call, "I just wanna see you. We don't have to talk."

There was a silent pause for a few moments before Tokoyami spoke again.

"Are you alone?"

"Shouji is with me," she said, "But, he doesn't have to come in as well, if that's more comfortable to you."

Tsuyu looked at Shouji for confirmation on this. He nodded, somewhat regrettably. The door suddenly opened, and Dark Shadow stood on guard.

"Tsuyu only," he held the door open and floated out of the room, glaring at Shouji the whole time, "You stay."

"You got it." Shouji put two thumbs up and took a step back.

Tsuyu gave him one final look, as if to say thanks, before stepping into the room. Dark Shadow closed the door behind her.

Tsuyu had to hold in her gasp at what she saw. To say the room had been ransacked would be an understatement. Clothes had been thrown everywhere, with drawers pulled out of the dresser. Everything hanging up on the walls had been pulled down and tossed about. Tokoyami's desk had been flipped over, and his chair thrown on the other side of the room. His gothic candles were the only things left standing. Shockingly enough, nothing looked broken. Tsuyu wondered if Tokoyami had intentionally been careful enough not to wreck any of his belongings, or if it was only blind luck. The bird headed boy sat down on the bed with his head down. Dark Shadow cooed as he reduced his size and floated over to him, rubbing up underneath Tokoyami's beak. Fumikage slowly lifted his hand to pet the beast. Tsuyu walked over and sat down next to him.

Neither of them said anything for the longest time. Tokoyami's hand was laid out flat on the sheets next to Tsuyu. Instinctively, she slowly inched her hand over and rested it atop his. He turned his around and tightly gripped hers.

"I didn't want anybody else to see this mess," Tokoyami spoke in a low tone, "It's embarrassing. I shouldn't lose my temper like that."

"You can't always have complete control over Dark Shadow," Tsuyu spoke, "It wasn't-

"Dark Shadow didn't do this," Tokoyami barely glanced at her, "I did."

Tsuyu didn't know what to say to that. She reached over and softly rubbed Tokoyami's hand with her own.

"I thought I was closer to him," Tokoyami began, "After all that training, all that discovery and growth, I believed for a brief period that I was reaching his level. But I haven't. If anything, the gap has grown even greater than at the tournament. I haven't even advanced a step."

"That's not-

"Don't tell me it's not true!" Tokoyami growled. Tsuyu jumped just a little, but she didn't let go of his hand, "He is so much stronger than back then. I should've known, but I wasn't thinking straight. Damn it all, how could I have been that naïve!? I was so focused on my own development, I barely thought about his!"

"Fumikage," Tsuyu put a hand on his shoulder, "You know that's a lie. You shouldn't be focused on anyone's progress but your own. Stop worrying about him, ribbit."

Tokoyami regained his posture and sat up straight.

"You're right," he said, "I shouldn't obsess over his power."

They sat in silence for some time again. Tsuyu decided to speak her mind as always.

"If you want some advice from me," she began, "In yesterdays battle, you were trying way to hard to plan things out and think ahead. I could see it in your posture throughout the whole fight. Your attention was split. You've always been more of a technical, analytical fighter, but that can cause you to overthink and overanalyze your opponents. You need to be more spontaneous, especially with stupidly fast and strong opponent like Bakugou."

"I know, that's what I was thinking about," Tokoyami sighed and rested his arms on his knees. Tsuyu smiled. Clearly, he was becoming more relaxed and comfortable. He just needed to speak up about his battle, "But I'm not sure what to do. Especially when fighting against light emitting opponents, I'm always worried about Dark Shadow's powers draining, even with the martial arts to back me up. I've become too paranoid about it."

"Maybe you should speak to Momo about this, ribbit."

Tokoyami flinched and looked over at Tsuyu.

"Yaoyorozu?" he questioned, "Why her?"

"Think about it," Tsuyu continued, "Her power is to create basically anything. How often do you think she has to improvise in the middle of a fight? Not only that, but she can also plan things way ahead of time and analyze the heck out of any battlefield. She's got the best of both worlds. Meanwhile, you can only analyze and overthink stuff. Don't you think should ask her for help and advice?"

Tokoyami blinked with a blank expression and looked away.

"That's…actually not a bad idea," he said.

"You see?" Tsuyu grinned, "It's all ok. Nothing's changed. You're not weak, or naïve, or any of those other things. You just need help, like everyone else. So, stop pouting in your room already, and come out to eat breakfast with the rest of us."

Tokoyami let out a small huff and smiled.

"You sure know how to drag people back to earth Tsuyu," Tokoyami grinned at her.

"It's my secret special power called 'speaking your mind'," she beamed back at him and stood up from the bed, "Now come on. Breakfast will be over soon, and I know you didn't eat dinner last night."

Tokoyami sat down for a few more seconds before standing up.

"Alright but let me clean up this disaster before I go."

"Nope, breakfast first," Tsuyu grabbed his hand, "Shouji can help you clean it up afterwards."

Tokoyami let out a small groan and rolled his eyes. Tsuyu giggled at this and started pulling him out.

"Tsuyu?" Tokoyami stopped suddenly before they walked out.

"What?" Asui was starting to get impatient, "Tokoyami, seriously, you're gonna miss- ribbit!"

Tokoyami pulled Tsuyu in for the tightest hug, nearly lifting her off her feet. Tsuyu's heartbeat picked up as she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you for speaking to me," Tokoyami's face was dangerously close to hers as he smiled from the corner of his eye.

Tsuyu blinked once and smiled as she buried her face in his shoulder. Like at the hospital, they both sat there hugging one another, not willing to let go. Finally, Tokoyami let out a small laugh and gently pushed her back. His beak was blushing hotly as a dumb grin spread on his beak. He scratched the back of his head.

"I…uh…oh boy," he took a deep breath, "Do you wanna get lunch or dinner sometime?

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu blushed at this and swallowed deeply, "Sure! That's sound great. You already have my phone number, right?"

"What? Oh, uh, yes!" Tokoyami laughed, "Yes I do. Um…so, I'll just give you a text?"

"Sounds good, ribbit."

They both stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before Tokoyami spoke up.

"So…breakfast is gonna end soon, right?"

"Yeah, we should get going," Tsuyu grabbed his hand again, and they both walked out. Tokoyami cringed and rolled his eyes as he heard Dark Shadow howling with laughter in his head.

 _"Aw look! You guys are so adorably awkward together!"_

 _"Shut the hell up…"_

After breakfast, Tokoyami spoke to Momo about Tsuyu's recommendation. The girl seemed somewhat flattered, and a little surprised, but she agreed to help Tokoyami during training that day. They met up at one of the match pits outside away from the rest of the students. Tokoyami brought the sword hawks had given him and wore it on his back.

"After you beat me at the tournament, I learned that I had to stop relying on my long-term thinking to get me through every battle. You destroyed all the equipment I brought into the fight before I could even use it, so I was defeated. I started to realize that I needed to be quick on my feet as well."

"How did you do it?" Tokoyami asked.

"Really, there's nothing secret about it," Momo explained, "You just have to practice being spontaneous. Focus more on quick thinking and instincts. Here, let's start now. Go ahead and attack me your quirk."

Tokoyami nodded and planted his feet. He called out Dark Shadow, and the quirk charged at Momo. Without warning, Momo made a flash grenade and tossed it at the spirit. Tokoyami swore, but before he could call Dark Shadow back, the bomb exploded. Dark Shadow shrieked in pain as his size reduced dramatically. Momo then made a metal pole and shield and charged at Tokoyami. Fumikage drew Dark Shadow back and assumed a fighting stance.

"You have to fight me without your quirk wounded!" Momo hollered as she swung at Tokoyami, "You can't plan with this! You just have to fight!"

Tokoyami swore as he kept dodging Momo's attacks. He blocked her weapon with his arms a couple times. All of that blocking against Dark Shadow's attacks had paid off, but he knew his arms would go numb if he kept letting them get bludgeoned.

"You're still delaying!" Momo hollered as she knocked him back with the shield, "Stop analyzing everything and just act! Use your instincts!"

Momo charged him again before he could stand. Tokoyami pushed himself on all fours and kicked Momo's shield, knocking her backwards. The counterattack had begun. Tokoyami stood up and started a ruthless barrage of kicks on her shield, pushing her back to the edge of the ring. Momo grinned devilishly as she dropped her pole and quickly made some ropes behind her shield. Tokoyami kicked one more time, and Momo wrapped the ropes around his leg, yanking on it. Tokoyami lost his footing and fell onto his back. Without thinking, he released Dark, only at a quarter of his strength, and crashed into Momo's shield. The blow didn't knock her backwards, but she ended up letting go of the ropes. Momo gritted her teeth as she stepped away from the boundary. Tokoyami used his sword to cut the ropes and stood back up.

Dark Shadow covered Tokoyami's body like a suit of armor, and he held his sword with both hands.

"BLACK KNIGHT!" Tokoyami held the blade over his shoulder like a samurai.

Momo grinned as she created a sword of her own, and the two engaged in a sword battle. Tokoyami was surprised at how well Momo knew how to use the weapon. Even with the increased speed and agility given to him by the Black Knight, she was keeping up quite well. Half of Tokoyami's "armor" vanished as he drew his fist back. Dark Shadow's claw engulfed it.

"SHADOW GAUNTLET!"

Tokoyami threw his fist into Momo's shield. The metal bent, and she screamed as she was knocked back on her butt, letting go of her sword. Dark Shadow returned to his armor and Tokoyami charged, ready to make Momo yield. He didn't pay attention to the next move she made, and ended up slipping on the grass, dropping his blade. Momo had covered it in some sort of soapy substance right after she was knocked over. Before Tokoyami could stand up, Momo was right on top of him. She grabbed his own blade and put it to his neck. Tokoyami let out a frustrated grunt as he laid his head down and sighed.

"I yield…"

Momo let go of the sword and collapsed backwards onto her rear, gasping for air. Tokoyami sat up, breathing heavily as well, and pulled his knee close to his chest as he rested his arm on it. Tokoyami smiled and let out a tired laugh.

"Guess you've finally had your revenge now, huh?"

Yaoyorozu grinned and laughed as well.

"You made me use everything in my arsenal though," she commented, "Can't say it was much of a victory. I even used your own sword at the end."

"A victory's a victory," Tokoyami looked at her, "How did I do?"

"You hesitated at the beginning and end, but aside from that, I say you did very well," Momo leaned her head back as she caught her breath, "How much time do we have left?"

"I don't know, but it looks like everyone else is gathering," Tokoyami stood up, offering a hand to Momo. She stumbled back a little, and Tokoyami grabbed her to keep her from falling over.

"Easy there," he said as he wrapped her arm over his shoulders and grabbed her waist.

"Thanks," she looked like she was on the verge of passing out. They both walked back together that way.

Todoroki spotted them from the rest of the group and walked to meet them halfway.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing, she just used her quirk too much," Tokoyami looked at her while he said it.

"Here, I'll take her from here," Todoroki grabbed her other arm and wrapped it around his shoulder, "You can head back."

Tokoyami nodded and made his way back to the group. Todoroki started walking back behind him. Momo opened her eyes slightly and smiled up at the new face. She closed her eyes again and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey you…" she whispered.

Todoroki didn't respond, but a small smile spread on his face.

Later that day after dinner, Shouji went up with Tokoyami and helped him clean up his room. Having Dark Shadow and someone with multiple arms to help him made things much easier. The two talked as they cleaned.

"So, you're ok about everything that happened?" Shouji asked as he hung up posters.

"Yes, I'm fine with it," Tokoyami smiled as he and Dark Shadow folded clothing, "I took the whole incident too personally and overreacted. I'm not even mad at Bakugou."

Shouji looked at Tokoyami questionably, and his smile disappeared.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Fumikage," Shouji began, "It's ok to be upset. You don't have to pretend that everything's ok. Bakugou isn't a stranger to be an asshole. Nobody will hold it against you for being mad at him. Heck, most people already are on your behalf."

"They don't need to be," Tokoyami went back to folding clothes, "Bakugou spoke to me at lunch yesterday, before our fight. The way he spoke…I can't really put it into words, but I don't think he was trying to demean me. I believe he was challenging me."

"What do you mean?" Shouji's curiosity peaked, "What did he say?"

"He said unless I set my goal at surpassing Endeavour and becoming the top hero, I'll never come close to beating him," Tokoyami pondered the thought, "And then he beat the hell out of me in our match. I don't think that was a coincidence."

Shouji didn't say anything to that. He and Tokoyami continued to clean until he spoke,

"Well, I think for the first time, I actually agree with Bakugou on something."

"And what's that?"

"You should try becoming the top hero," Shouji looked at Tokoyami, "Or at least getting into the top five. That shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

Tokoyami let out a small gasp as he looked back at his friend.

"I've never doubted for a second that you could do it," Shouji closed his eyes and smiled underneath his mask, "You're my best friend after all, right?"

Tokoyami blinked and smiled. He didn't say anything as he went back to folding.


	10. Chapter 10

**Apologies for the delay on this chapter. I have been working on (and finished) my most recent story, a Tokoyami X Momo one titled "Castaway Love of Dark Creation". If you haven't already read it, please go check it out!**

 **Thank you, and enjoy the latest installment!**

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"Black Knight!"

Tokoyami shouted, and Dark Shadow covered him like a suit of armor. He pulled out his katana and pointed it at Hawks. The hero formed a feather sword and spun it around. A month passed since Fumikage lost to Bakugou. Hawks became familiar with most of his new techniques.

"This again?" Hawks struck a smug smile, "You're becoming predictable."

Fumikage charged and swung at Hawks. The hero dodged and outmaneuvered him. He knew Tokoyami couldn't fly in this form, and he raced around him. Tokoyami struggled to parry as Hawks delivered fast, powerful strikes from multiple directions. Their swords clashed together like a hammer on an anvil. Fumikage bided his time and waited for Hawks to let his guard down. He blocked one more attack, and aimed his hand at Hawks. Dark Shadow's claw launched from it. Hawks grimaced as he just managed to evade the attack. He countered and fired two feathers at Tokoyami's exposed arm. Fumikage hollered in pain as the feathers grazed and bled his arm. Dark Shadow quickly retracted to cover him.

Hawks landed next to Fumikage and began a ruthless assault. Tokoyami had gotten better at his fencing, but not good enough to match his master. Fumikage found an opening and swung, but Hawks simply used the opportunity to disarm him. Tokoyami's sword soared through the air as Hawks knocked it away.

Tokoyami quickly switched to Shadow Gauntlets and blocked Hawks next attack. Dark Shadow grabbed the feather sword, and Tokoyami yelled as he threw a devastating punch. Hawks blocked at the last second with his wings and slid on the ground. He slid and came to a stop.

"Well now," Hawks wings parted, and he grinned at Tokoyami, "That was creative."

"You've become predictable as well, sensei," Fumikage held his gauntlets up as Dark Shadow threw the feather sword away.

"Don't get cocky," Hawks stuffed his hands in his pockets, "At this rate, you won't beat me."

Fumikage scowled and grunted. Hawks was right. Dark Shadow was using too much energy and exposing too much of himself to the light. Fortunately, the Shadow Gauntlets technique would keep his power from draining so much, but it also left Tokoyami exposed. He would have to act quickly.

Fumikage ran towards Hawks, beginning the assaut this time. Hawks dodged his wild punches with ease. Tokoyami's reckless style actually caught him off guard for a moment, and Fumikage enacted his plan. Dark Shadows claws enlarged and swiped at Hawks with lightning speed. The hero flung himself backwards to dodge, but the claws lacerated his torso. Hawks cringed in pain and held his bleeding chest. Tokoyami continued the assault, and Hawks let out a sharp tsk.

"Alright," he said, "Enough playing around."

Hawks dodged the next swipe and blew Tokoyami away with one of his wings. He launched a barrage of feathers at him. Dark Shadow had no choice but to reemerge and tank the attack, already drained from the battle. Hawks flew and knocked the quirk out of the way with ease. He spun middair and delivered a devastating kick at Fumikage. Tokoyami blocked at the last moment, but the attack still knocked him backwards. Tokoyami yelled in pain as he rolled across the floor.

Tokoyami coughed and struggled to stand. His legs shook violently as he hoisted himself. He gasped for air and slumped over. Hawks grinned and stretched his neck.

"Hey, come on now," he grabbed his feather sword off the ground, "Don't tell me that's all you got."

Fumikage glared at him. He looked and saw he had landed next to his blade. He leaned down to pick up the sword. Hawks fired a feather and knocked it away. He flew at Tokoyami and delivered another powerful kick towards his abdomen. Tokoyami grunted as he rolled across the training room floor.

"I'm not going easy on you anymore," Hawks spun his sword around and rested it on his shoulder. He cringed again and grabbed his chest, looking at the blood on his hand, "Man, that smarts."

Tokoyami lifted himself again, planting one feet at a time as he pushed.

" _Sorry Fumikage,"_ Dark Shadow spoke from within, _"I couldn't block that. I'm almost completely out of energy. I need time to recharge."_

" _We both do,"_ Tokoyami thought back as he caught his breath, _"Alright, I've had enough of this. When you're back to full strength, we're gonna use the Dance of Darkness."_

" _I don't think he's gonna give us that long."_

" _I can deal with him, as long as I focus entirely on evasion,"_ Tokoyami eyed Hawks carefully as the hero spun his sword around, _"Let me know as soon as you're back to full power."_

Tokoyami assumed a martial arts stance. Hawks lifted his chin with a smug smile.

"Do you really think you can beat with just martial arts?" Hawks asked.

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

"No, you're giving your quirk time to regain energy," Hawks ran for him, "Sorry, but that's not happening!"

Fumikage planted his feet. He waited, seeing every attack pattern and direction Hawks could strike him from. Tokoyami was grateful for all that practice with Aizawa and Shinso now. This was nothing compared to that.

Hawks attacked with great speed and precision, but Tokoyami read his every move with ease. The planned to wear his master down before unraveling his ultimate technique. After a solid month of meditating with Shoto and practicing with Yaoyorozu, he was sure it was ready. Hawks got frustrated as none of his attacks landed home.

"Even with your quirk recharged, you'll be worn out from all this!" Hawks shouted as he continued to swing, "You know Dark Shadow can't defeat me alone!"

Tokoyami said nothing as he continued to evade. Hawks eyes widened and he quickly withdrew.

"That's it," he narrowed his eyes and smiled, "You've got something special up your sleeve, don't you? That technique you used on the Quirkless Villain. You've perfected it, haven't you?"

Tokoyami twitched and glared at his master. Hawks created another sword. He was running low on feathers, but had just enough to fly if needed.

" _I shouldn't have been going easy on him,"_ Hawks thought to himself with an excited smile, _"He's about to make me pay big time for that."_

Tokoyami waited until Dark Shadow spoke from within.

" _Fumikage, I'm ready."_

" _Excellent,"_ Tokoyami interlocked his fingers and closed his eyes, _"Let's do this."_

Dark Shadow popper out and resumed the same stance. Hawks thought about taking the opportunity to strike while Tokoyami was open, but with his quirk back out, that may not be an option. After about five seconds, Tokoyami and Dark Shadow both opened their eyes. Hawks flinched and took a step back, as their eyes glowed yellow and red.

"Ok then," he said as he held his swords up, "That's a little creepy."

"You should've seen what they looked like when I first tried this," Tokoyami and Dark Shadow spoke in unison.

"I?" Hawks tilted his head.

"Correct," they spoke again and held up their arms, "I am Tsukuyomi. This is my Dance of Darkness."

Hawks couldn't help but get excited. His student had come a long way in such a short amount of time.

"Alright then, Tsukuyomi," Hawks spun his swords around and popped his neck, "Show me what you got!"

Hawks charged. To his surprise, Dark Shadow retracted, and Tokoyami attacked alone. Hawks swung at him with both blades. Fumikage jumped backwards, and Dark Shadow sprung from his back. He flew around Hawks and attacked from behind.

Hawks gasped and turned to block with his blades. He grunted as he felt Fumikage's elbow drive into his back. He turned and swung at him, and Tokoyami dodged. As he did so, Dark Shadow clawed at Hawk's back. He shouted in pain and swung at the quirk, who retreated immediately as Fumikage kicked Hawks right in the hip.

Hawks was trapped, boxed in, and utterly outflanked. Dark Shadow and Tokoyami continued to take pot shots at him from both sides. He had never seen the two of them perform with such perfected timing and synchronization. In the past, he either fought them together or one at a time, never both at once. Hawks read their moves and blocked each of their attacks with his swords, but the process exhausted him, and he found no opening to counter. He had to act fast or the battle would be over.

Hawks flew up into the air to escape. Dark Shadow pursued, and Hawks turned to unleash half of his feathers on him. The attack took him by complete surprise, and Hawks fell back to the ground past him. He threw his swords and unleashed the rest of his feathers on Tokoyami. The projectiles surrounded him, and Fumikage snarled. Hawks was blocking him in. Dark Shadow turned around to protect his master, but he was too late. Hawks used his featherless wings to slow his decent as much as he could right before landing on top of Fumikage. He tackled him to the ground and got behind him. Dark Shadow halted as Hawks got both his arms around Tokoyami's neck. A death grip. Hawks could easily snap Tokoyami's neck now. He was his prisoner. The battle was over.

Hawks shouted in pain as he pushed Tokoyami off him, holding his bloodied chest. Tokoyami's eyes reverted back to normal as Dark Shadow returned to him.

"Sensei!" he shouted as he kneeled over him, "Are you alright?"

Hawks let out a heavy laugh as he slowly stood back up.

"I really had to use every card in my deck at the end there," he sucked in and closed his eyes, " I took a big risk. If your quirk had gotten to me first, that would've been the end."

"I thought for sure I had you that time," Tokoyami said.

"You almost did," Hawks looked at him with one eye, "You took control of the battlefield, so you thought you would be able to easily avoid me. I unleashed everything I had and trapped you with that last attack."

"That's true," Tokoyami crossed his arms and looked up, "If I had used Dark Angel to pursue you instead, that may have sealed the victory. I assumed you were on an absolute route at that point, so I decided to stay behind and wait."

"Always look for openings," Hawks patted Tokoyami's shoulder and hobbled away, "Now, if you don't mind, I have to get these wounds patched up before I catch an infection."

"Maybe I should go with you," Fumikage reached out a hand.

"No, I can handle myself," Hawks waved it off, "That's enough training for today. You're dismissed."

Hawks walked out of the room. Fumikage let out a short grunt as he grabbed his freshly bruised abdomen.

" _I guess The Dance of Darkness doesn't make us as invincible as we initially thought."_ Dark Shadow spoke internally.

" _We're gonna need to be more careful with it,"_ Tokoyami began to walk out while Dark Shadow picked up his sword with his mouth, _"It's making us too overconfident. If we act that way against Bakugou, we will lose...badly."_

Fumikage patched himself up and flew back to the dorms. His Fallen Angel technique became very useful for getting around town with such a tight schedule. Upon arrival, he showered up and got dressed for the night. It was a Friday, which meant Tokoyami had the night to himself, and he planned to spend it with his best friends. Fumikage made it down to the lobby where Tsuyu, Kirishima, and Mina waited for him.

"Hi Tokoyami!" Mina waved at him, "Wow, you look great!"

"Ashido?" Fumikage raised an eyebrow, "You're coming with us?"

"Remember how we talked about doing a double date?" Kirishima pointed a thumb at her, "Well, here it is."

"Is that ok, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked.

Tokoyami looked at Asui's beautiful red dress. Her hair looked adorable tied up with a green bow.

"Of course," he grinned and nodded at Mina, "Welcome aboard."

"Yay!" she ran up and hugged him, causing Tokoyami to grunt, "Thank you!"

"O-oi, Mina!" Kirishima looked horrified, "Watch the acid! That suit looks expensive."

"Oh!" she let go quickly, blushing with a nervous laugh, "sorry."

"That's alright," Fumikage looked at Kirishima, "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's head out!"

Mina and Kirishima walked ahead while Fumikage grabbed Tsuyu's hand.

"You look beautiful," he said as they followed behind.

"Thanks," Tsuyu closed her eyes and smiled.

Neither one of them had been given much opportunity to hang out. Tokoyami suggested going on a date a month ago. They managed to spend time with each other, but their internships, schooling, and training got in the way. Now that they had a night to themselves, they planned to make the best of it.

On their way to the bus stop, Kirishima and Mina slowed down to walk with their friends.

"So!" Kirishima beamed at Fumikage, "Is your ultimate battle with Bakugou still on next week?"

About a week ago, Tokoyami asked Aizawa sensei if he could schedule a rematch with him and Bakugou. His teacher agreed only if Bakugou was on board with it. Fumikage forgot to ask his teacher to keep it private, so now everyone in class knew about it. They would have their battle during regular training hours, and in full costume. Apparently, the fight had become the talk of the town with Class-1A. Almost every student had approached him asking about it. Some offered advice, others told him to back off, but most just wished him good luck. In particular, Midoriya took great interest in the fight, and wanted to tell Fumikage everything he knew about Bakugou's fighting style. Surprisingly, Tokoyami declined, saying he'd rather win with his own information and knowledge. Midoriya understood and backed away from it all.

"I don't see why everyone is so excited," Tokoyami responded, "And I never asked sensei to bring it up."

"Aw c'mon," Kirishima laughed, "You know exactly why everyone is pumped up. After how the last fight between you two ended? This is a grudge match dude!"

"I hardly look at it the same." Fumikage huffed.

"Yeah, I know you don't," Kirishima nudged his shoulder, "I'm just messing with ya."

"I'm sure you'll do great!" Mina bounced a little and held up her fists.

"Of course he will, ribbit," Tsuyu squeezed his hand and smiled.

Tokoyami grinned and bowed his head with his eyes closed.

"Thank you," he raises his head, "All of you. Your encouragement means a lot."

They walked down the sidewalk and came to a bus stop. They boarded and traveled downtown to a fair. Tokoyami marveled at the massive Ferris Wheel, the old wooden roller coaster, the dozens of food and game stands, and all the shops. The place was badly crowded with families and couples, but Fumikage didn't care. This was his first time going to a Fair, and he already loved it. The others were a little more frustrated.

"Aw crap baskets," Kirishima scratched the back of his head as he looked around, "this place is packed."

"We'll cover more ground in groups," Tsuyu put a finger underneath her chin, "Let's split up and meet back here in say...two hours, ribbit?"

"Alright!" Kirishima placed an arm around Tokoyami, "Let's do guys and gals."

"Yes!" Mina hugged Tsuyu tightly, "Girls night out!"

Ashore basically yanked Tsuyu away and started running. Asui gave Fumikage a pleasing look, and he chuckled, waving goodbye.

"Come on, the games here are awesome," Kirishima walked and beckoned Fumikage to follow with his hand.

They tried out the bell and hammer game first. Kirishima went first and got all the way to the top, ringing the bell.

"Yes!" Kirishima cheered and pointed to a pink elephant on the prize rack, "I'll take that one please."

The game runner handed the prize to him, and Fumikage stepped up to the plate. He grabbed the hammer, took a deep breath, and swung as hard as he could. He only got halfway. Dark Shadow popped out and grabbed the hammer on his own will.

"Dark Shadow?"

"You're making us look bad!" The quirk lifted the hammer with a sly grin, "I got this."

"H-hey!" the game runner stuttered, startled by Tokoyami's quirk, "Quirks aren't allowed on the-

Dark Shadow slammed the bell as hard as he could, breaking the hammer in half and breaking the bell.

"Whoops," Dark Shadow looked at the broken handle, "my bad."

"I'm calling the manager!" the game runner shouted.

"Crap, run dude!" Kirishima bolted.

"Wait, hold on!" Tokoyami shouted, but the redhead vanished. Fumikage crossed his arms and mumbled, "Hmph, coward. I'm sorry about the machine. My quirk can be a little spontaneous. Will I have to pay for it?"

The game runner blinked at Fumikage, a little baffled.

"You mean...you're not gonna run?" he asked.

"Of course not. Can I speak to your manager to get this all resolved?"

The game runner shook his head and looked up at the bell with a sigh.

"No, you're fine. These things are cheap anyway. I'll just close up shop for now and see if I can get a mechanic to look at it."

"Very well," Tokoyami bowed, "again, I apologize for the inconvenience."

Dark Shadow returned, and Tokoyami started walking away.

"Hey dude, hold on a second!"

Tokoyami stopped and turned around. The game runner tossed him a small stuffed black dragon.

"For the first swing," he held up a thumb and grinned, "you got a really strong quirk by the way."

Tokoyami blinked once, smiled, and nodded. He walked back into the crowd, looking for his friend. Kirishima seemed to appear out of nowhere right in front of him, making Tokoyami jump.

"There you are! Dude, why didn't you run?"

"And get myself into deeper trouble? No thanks."

"Well, how much trouble are you in?" Kirishima looked at the dragon, "And where'd you get that?"

"That guy gave it to me. Says it's not a big deal. I don't have to pay for it."

"Oh!" Kirishima grinned, "huh, now I wish I hadn't run. Sounds like a cool guy."

"How many times have you broken something and just ran?" Tokoyami raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, bad habit," Kirishima smiled and laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Bakugou can get really mad and break shit when we're together."

"Of course he does," Tokoyami looked around, "What other games did you want to show me?"

Kirishima showed him a few more. They tried out a shooter, a ring thrower, and darts. Kirishima beat Tokoyami at all of them, and the boy's arms were filled with prizes. Fumikage did win a red frog plush at the darts game, and he knew exactly who to give it to. He helped Kirishima carry some of his prizes. The boy won a small blue elephant, a large purple teddy bear, an oversized green snake that coiled around his neck, a large black dragon like the smaller one Fumikage won, and a jumbo sized red Allosaurus. Fumikage carried the dragon and elephant along with his own prizes while Kirishima lifted the rest.

"Should've brought some bags," Kirishima grunted as he got a better grip on the prizes, "I think that's enough games for today. Let's go grab some snacks and rest for a bit!"

They walked until they found an outdoor food court with some benches. Tokoyami found a table for them while Kirishima went up to one of the snack stalls. He came back with a few sodas, some French fries, and a box of chocolate covered Pecans.

"We still got about an hour left," Tokoyami checked his watch, "we can probably do a little more before we meet back up with the girls."

"Sounds good," Kirishima took fry and munched on it, "How do you feel about your match with Bakugou? You haven't said much about it."

"I guess it's because I'm still not entirely sure," Tokoyami interlocked his fingers, "I've prepared, and I'm sure I'll give him a better fight this time. But...I don't know if I'll be able to win. He's so strong."

They said nothing for a few moments while they snacked on their food. Kirishima broke the silence.

"Bakugou has a special way of respecting people. I think, deep down, he knows you're getting stronger and wanting to improve. That's why he beat you so hard last time. He probably knows you can take it, just like his fight with Uraraka during the games."

"I understand that," Fumikage said, "I'm not mad at him anymore. I just don't know if I can really defeat him."

"Who says you have to?"

Fumikage flinched and looked at Kirishima directly. Kirishima grinned

"How many people can you list off who have ever beaten Bakugou in a one on one fight?" Kirishima shook his head as he sipped his soda, "Not to mention he directly counters your quirk. If you can even give him a fight, that in itself is enough proof that you've grown tremendously."

"You think so?" Fumikage asked.

"Tokoyami," Kirishima sry his drink down, "look. You've gotta accept yourself. You've gotta look at your accomplishments, and be proud of them. You should always be looking to grow, sure, but how are you helping yourself by not seeing how far you've already come? How far we've _all_ come. Bakugou is Bakugou, and you're you. I think, if you stop focusing so much on him, you'll finally understand who you are."

Tokoyami blinked and smiled. He felt a tremendous burden lift off his back, and he took a deep breath. He nodded.

"Alright, that actually makes perfect sense. Thank you for that. I will just go in there and do my best."

"That a boy," Kirishima stood up as he slurped the last of his beverage and tossed it into the nearest garbage, "Now, let's go ride some coasters!"

For the rest of the night, something strange started to happen to Fumikage. He felt himself become more and more relaxed, free almost, as all his thoughts drifted away from Bakugou and their battle. He noticed this sensation the most while riding the wooden roller coaster. When their cart reached the top of a large drop, he spread his arms out and closed his eyes with a beaming smile. The wind blew on his skin and feathers. He felt this whoever he used the Fallen Angel, but never like this. Never did it become so clear to Tokoyami.

He was flying. He was free.

The night came to a close, and the students met back up with each other and spent another hour looking around shops before leaving. Tokoyami proudly gave Asui her frog prize. She thanked him with a large hug. Fumikage didn't even care that Kirishima won more or got to hand Mina a larger prize. All he thought about was how happy Tsuyu looked when he gave her the gift.

They headed back to the dorms, talking about all the fun things they did at the fair. When they arrived, Kirishima handed Tokoyami the large black dragon, saying his little one needed a friend. The pairs split up, and the boys walked the girls to their rooms. Tsuyu smiled up at Tokoyami as she held her stuff frog close to her chest.

"Tonight was fun, ribbit,"

"Indeed it was." Fumikage grinned back.

The two stared at each other for a moment, saying nothing. Fumikage dropped the dragons, cupped Tsuyu's face in his hands, and planted a small peck on her lips. He drew back, and both students blushed hard. Fumikage let out a short, nervous laugh and dropped his hands.

"That was not what I expected." He rubbed his beak with his finger.

"Yeah," Tsuyu nodded plainly, "not as romantic as a first kiss should feel, huh?"

"I'm sorry. I'm still new to this."

"We both are," Tsuyu placed a few fingers on his beak, "it's softer than I thought it'd be."

"It's not like a regular birds," Tokoyami placed his hand atop hers.

They stared at each other in solemn silence again.

"Tokoyami chan," Tsuyu blushed again, "Does this make things official between us?"

"I would like that," Tokoyami smiled and closed his eyes, "I like you a lot, Tsuyu chan."

Asui let out a small ribbit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his head closer to hers.

"I like you too."

Both students tilted their heads and kissed. Tokoyami slightly opened his beak as he wrapped his arms around her waist.


	11. Chapter 11

**It's over...it's done.**

 **FINALLY FINISHED WITH THIS STORY! I'm so happy I could get this done. I started this thing almost a YEAR ago and now I'm coming up at the end. THANK THE LORD. Now I can move on to my next project: Tokoyami X Kendo (HELL YEAH, BIRD FIST BABY!) This doesn't mean this will be the last story focused around Bakugou and Tokoyami. I may do more in the far future, but don't expect anything right off the bat.**

 **I was THINKING about doing an epilogue for this thing but...I don't know what it would even be. I think the ending I have now is already good enough, but if enough people ask for one, I MIGHT consider it!**

 **Anyway, please enjoy this final installment of "The Dance of Darkness"!**

* * *

The day of the fight, Tokoyami woke up calm and well rested. He didn't even have any nightmares the night before. He treated the day like any other, getting dressed and showered and heading down for breakfast before 8:00 AM. The battle would take place on the training grounds during after school hours. Shockingly, every 1A student would be attending. Fumikage figured at least a few would be out on internships, which made him wonder if Aizawa made some calls. Not that Tokoyami cared anymore. He would have gladly dueled Bakugou with or without an audience.

Nobody talked about the fight at breakfast time. Everyone seemed to focus on other things, like their hero work or the upcoming exam at the end of the week. Fumikage ate his meal with some of his friends. He spotted Kirishima sitting with Bakugou at another table. The blonde looked annoyed as he shot a death stare at Kaminari and Sato right before yelling at them. Fumikage let out a small chuckle and returned to his meal. He finished up without saying a word and stood up to take care of his tray. Shouji watched him walk away.

"Silent as always," he spoke as he ate his meal with one of his tendrils, "He doesn't even look remotely nervous."

"I am," Midoriya said as he softly chewed on his food, "Bakugou is no joke. I hope he knows what he's getting himself into."

"He knows," Shouji closed his eyes and smiled underneath the mask, "have faith in him."

The day proceeded as usual. Fumikage finished his classes and training. His last course finished up, and Tokoyami headed back to his dorms for his costume. As he put it on, he felt nervous excitement in his stomach as he took a deep breath through his nose.

" _We got this,"_ Dark Shadow spoke internally.

" _Agreed,"_ Tokoyami flung his cloak over his body with a confident grin, _"Even if we don't win, let's give that barbaric bastard one hell of a show."_

Dark Shadow cackled evilly at that. Tokoyami made his way out of the dorms and headed for the battlefield.

To both Tokoyami and Bakugou's request, Aizawa agreed to give them a much larger arena than usual. It was about the size of the ones used during the games, perhaps slightly bigger even. The rest of class 1A watched from some metal stands. Nobody had changed out of their school uniforms. Bakugou and Tokoyami stepped out onto the field and met in the middle where Aizawa waited.

"The rules are quite simple," Aizawa explained, "Whoever gets knocked out of bounds, pinned in a submission move, or knocked unconscious is the loser. You are free to use your costume perks to their fullest extent. Go all out."

Tokoyami pulled off his sword and handed it to Aizawa.

"Sensei, if you would take this," Fumikage requested.

Bakugou raised an eyebrow at him and snarled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I don't believe I am good enough with this blade to use it effectively," Fumikage explained while Aizawa grabbed it, "It will only weigh me down."

Bakugou let out a sharp tsk.

"Whatever," he huffed and turned away, "Not like you could win with it anyway."

"Bakugou," Aizawa called out, and the boy turned around, "Shake hands with your opponent."

Bakugou hesitated for a moment before walking back. He gripped Tokoyami's hand as hard as he could. He let out a small grunt when he felt Tokoyami squeeze just as hard back, glaring at him.

" _Kirishima wasn't bullshitting,"_ Bakugou said as he glanced down, _"He has gotten strong."_

"To your corners," Aizawa stepped back to the stands with his hands behind his back, "The fight begins on my whistle."

Bakugou and Tokoyami walked back to their sides of the ring.

" _He'll start off slow,"_ Tokoyami spoke internally as he pulled his cloak off and wrapped it around his waist, _"I'll go in alone at first. You sit tight. If things get too hot, bail me out with the Fallen Angel."_

" _Careful,"_ Dark Shadow warned, _"One misstep, and we're history."_

" _I know that, but we can show all our cards upfront,"_ Tokoyami responded, _"If I can get even one hit in, that's a major success."_

Tokoyami got to the end and faced Bakugou. The other students looked at him in awe from the stands.

"Oi, what's Fumikage doing?" Sero said, "He took his cloak off?"

"Isn't that what protects him from light?" Kaminari added, "What's he thinking?"

Shinso crossed his arms and legs and watched intensely.

" _Tokoyami,"_ he thought to himself, _"Are you going to use it immediately?"_

Tokoyami assumed a battle stance, crouched with both hands out front. Bakugou didn't make a move and just glared at him. He popped his wrists and tightened his fists. Aizawa grabbed his whistle, and with one large blow, the battle began.

Immediately, Bakugou propelled himself with a series of explosions. Fumikage didn't budge, and Bakugou snarled as he stopped halfway and ran normally. The other students gasped at this.

"O-oi, what's going on!?" Kaminari shouted, "Did Bakugou seriously just stop!?"

"DIE!" Bakugou shouted as he flung an attack at Tokoyami. Fumikage jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the explosion with precise movement. Bakugou kept his eyes on him with one hand open and ready.

" _No, that was a smart move,"_ Todoroki thought as he placed a hand underneath his chin, _"Bakugou may be fast and strong, but Tokoyami was right up against the edge. Flying at that speed, he could've easily been countered and thrown out in a heartbeat."_

Bakugou continued his ruthless pursuit, throwing explosion after explosion at Tokoyami. However, oddly enough, he was attacking much less ferociously than normal. Midoriya noticed that Bakugou always kept one hand back with his palm open, ready to attack.

"Oi, Bakugou!" Kirishima hollered, "What's with the hold up, huh? You're holding back!"

"Shut the fuck up and let me fight my own way!" he shouted back without turning from Tokoyami.

One of the explosions narrowly grazed Tokoyami's shirt, sitting it aflame. He cringed and jumped backwards putting it out in an instant. Bakugou had a chance to unleash a barrage, but like before, he was careful and only did one attack at a time.

" _Shit, I can't get a counter on him,"_ Tokoyami thought to Dark Shadow, _"He's keeping one hand back for defense. If I try to go in, he'll blast me away in a second!"_

" _Don't panic, just wait it out,"_ Dark Shadow thought back, _"He can't do this forever."_

Bakugou finally stopped and jumped back, growling at Tokoyami.

"What's your problem, huh!?" he roared as his hands sparked, "Attack me already! I'm sick of this game of cat and mouse!"

"I could say the same to you," Tokoyami glared, "You're barely trying right now."

Bakugou flinched and growled.

"You want me to go all out, huh?" he struck a devilish smile and crouched down, "Alright then, I'll end this in a second!"

Bakugou rocket jumped, leaving a large cloud of smoke. Tokoyami coughed, and looked around. He figured Bakugou would be jumping around and attacking from behind, but his instincts told him as he looked up,

"Straight down!" Tokoyami flew himself backwards out of the cloud. Bakugou came crashing down with another large explosion, smashing the ground and blowing away the smoke. He stood, expecting Tokoyami to have backed off again. An elbow collided right into his cheek as Tokoyami immediately switched gears and attacked. Bakugou threw another explosion, but Tokoyami knocked his hand out of the way at the last second and gut punched Bakugou. He threw another explosion with his other arm, and Tokoyami repeated the movement. Bakugou yelled in fury and threw both arms for a devastating punch. Tokoyami knocked them out of the way again, and tightened his grip around Bakugou's wrists. Dark Shadow's head quickly covered his own, making Bakugou flinch for a second before Tokoyami delivered a devastating headbutt, knocking the boy backwards. Bakugou collapsed to the ground, and Dark Shadow returned.

The watching audience was dead silent. Nobody could believe their eyes. Tokoyami stood over Bakugou, breathing hard as he caught his breath. Bakugou stood up and popped his neck. His forehead bled from a gash as he spit out blood and teeth, rubbing his cheek. The two fighters glared at each other.

"You should have retreated the moment I hit you," Tokoyami spoke with a deep voice, "Bakugou...do not take me lightly."

Bakugou let out a short tsk as he wiped the blood off his lip. Kirishima gaped with utter shock at what he saw. He had never seen Bakugou bleed like this. It looked, for a moment, that the blonde had complete control of the battlefield like always, but that is no longer the case. One dazed hit, and Tokoyami had him on the ropes with barely using his quirk.

In a heartbeat, Bakugou launched himself at Tokoyami. Fumikage gasped and barely managed to dodge, not expecting him to recover so fast. Even more shocking, Bakugou launched again from the opposite direction in a heartbeat the moment Fumikage dodged. He got him right in the chest, and Tokoyami barely had time to bring up his arms to block. The attack blew him away, and Tokoyami could feel his ears ringing as he skidded across the ground. Bakugou launched himself into the air, ready to deliver the killing blow. Dark Shadow wrapped his arms around Tokoyami and flew him away right before Bakugou's hand collided with the ground.

"He got faster!" Dark Shadow hollered while Tokoyami covered him in his cloak, "He got way faster!"

"Get back here, coward!" Bakugou shouted as he propelled himself towards Tokoyami.

Tokoyami flew up into the air and looked down. Bakugou landed on his feet and growled up at him. Fumikage cringed as he grabbed his chest.

"Hurts, doesn't it!?" Bakugou shouted, "You were the one taking me lightly, asshole!"

"Seems that way," Fumikage said as he moved his arm away, "I won't make the same mistake twice!"

Bakugou grinned maniacally as his hands sparked.

"You can't use your quirk properly like that, can you!?" he said, "I've been watching you all this time. I know that poses a serious weakness!"

Bakugou launched himself with another explosion. Tokoyami flew and dodged, but Bakugou changed course with another explosion. Tokoyami couldn't believe how well coordinated he was with those blasts. He could change direction and speed without any problems. Fumikage thought he would have better control over the battlefield with this technique, but that didn't seem to be the case. Bakugou launched towards him again and swiped at Tokoyami's cloak.

"He's trying to remove the protection!" Midoriya stood up, and the rest of class 1A stood as well. People started shouting, cheering on both students. However, there were many more shouts for Tokoyami than Bakugou.

"This isn't working!" Dark Shadow hollered as Bakugou swiped at them again, "We're gonna have to abandon this strategy!"

"I thought we would have more time with this," Tokoyami grumbled, "Very well. He has the advantage on us. We'll move right away to stage three. Are you ready?"

"Aio, let's do this!"

Bakugo charged them again. This time, Tokoyami removed the cloak from Dark Shadow and threw it in Bakugou's face. The boy shouted and surprise and paused midair as he scrambled to remove it. He finally flung it off and frantically looked around.

"Where the hell is he!?" Bakugou seared with anger as he kept himself afloat with small explosions.

He spotted Tokoyami and Dark Shadow in the middle of the ring. They seemed to be meditating with their hands together and heads bowed. Bakugou yelled and launched towards them, eager to weaken Tokoyami's quirk. At the last second, they both jumped out of the way. Bakugou landed and snarled as he turned back to Tokoyami. He stopped as he saw their backs were to him. They turned, and Bakugou flinched. Their eye colors changed. Some of the students in the stands let out small gasps in awe.

Before Bakugou could collect his bearings, Dark Shadow launched to the side of the stage and began circling around. He picked up the cloak on the way and covered himself. Bakugou couldn't look for long as Tokoyami was right on top of him. He performed a spinning jump kick that Bakugo just narrowly dodged and countered with an explosion. Tokoyami pivoted midair to dodge the attack, but he landed unevenly. Bakugou thought he had him right there, but a hard blow struck him right in the side and sent him flying towards the end of the ring. He had completely forgotten about Dark Shadow. He grabbed his side with a grunt as he stood up. Dark Shadow returned as Tokoyami casually walked towards Bakugou with those glowing yellow and red eyes.

Bakugou decided he needed time to think as he launched himself with a smokey explosion, leaving Tokoyami in it. He gasped as Tokoyami flew out of the smoke as well and faced him middair. Dark Shadow had pushed them both up with a claw. Tokoyami extended his arm, and one of Dark Shadow's claws launched out at lightning speed, knocking Bakugou out of the sky. The students gasped, and a few cheered and applauded. Bakugou barely had time to slow his fall with a few explosions before tumbling across the ground. Tokoyami landed gracefully and ran right for him. Bakugou was still trying to stand, dazed by such a heavy attack. Dark Shadow launched into the air and hovered way above the arena, ready for an aerial strike.

"Bakugou, stand up!" Kirishima shouted, "He's onto you!"

Bakugou had other plans as he dropped to his knees and aimed one of his grenade launchers at Tokoyami.

"BURN IN HELL!" he shouted as he pulled the pin.

Tokoyami easily dodged the attack, but Bakugou had a chance to run for him. He kept close attention to the skies and waited for Dark Shadow to descend. Bakugou aimed his other grenade at Tokoyami and got on one knee. Dark Shadow dove right at Bakugou, ready to stop the attack. However, at the last second, Bakugou changed direction, aimed straight up, and blasted Dark Shadow at point blank range.

Dark Shadow screamed in pain as he was engulfed in a fiery explosion. Bakugou smirked, but that one second of delay cost him dearly as Tokoyami delivered a powerful spinning kick towards his left forearm. Bakugou's eyes widened as the blow struck. He could hear a silent _crack_ as his arm broke.

Both opponents seemed to freeze for a second. Tokoyami held his chest and started screaming in pain as he writhed on the ground. Bakugou grabbed his broken arm and took a few steps away before falling on his knees. He cringed, baring his teeth, before shouting at the top of his lungs,

"FUUUUUUUUCK!"

The rest of class 1A gasped and covered their mouths in horror. Both students were in horrible pain.

"Wait, why is Tokoyami hurt!?" Midoriya questioned, "Bakugou didn't even touch him!"

"It's that technique he used," Shoto explained, "He told me it connected their minds _and_ bodies. Tokoyami probably felt the full blunt of that attack."

Tsuyu covered her mouth and felt her eyes watering up. Tokoyami's body shook as his eyes reverted to normal. He gasped in relief as he barely managed to stand up, placing his hands on his knees. Bakugou stood as well, holding his freshly broken arm as he held in his screams. He stared at Tokoyami with death in his eyes.

"If you think breaking my arm is gonna put me out of this," Bakugou clenched his fist as he held his broken arm to his chest, "You got another thing coming birdhead!"

Tokoyami growled back at him as he assumed a fighting stance, arms shaking.

"We should stop this!" Iida said as he hung over the railings, looking down at Aizawa, "Sensei, they are going to kill each other!"

"Sit down," Aizawa put a hand up to him, "I'll stop things if it gets too rough."

"You're saying this isn't too rough!?"

Aizawa didn't respond, and Iida sat down with a frustrated grunt, nervously watching the battle.

" _Fumikage, I need time to recharge,"_ Dark Shadow said, _"Like, lots of time! That was a huge hit."_

" _Don't worry about it,"_ Tokoyami thought back, _"We don't need you at full strength. Just wait on my command. He's down an arm. We can still do this!"_

" _What do you have in mind?"_

" _Something so stupid, Midoriya would be proud,"_ Fumikage let out a small laugh, and then shouted, "Come, Bakugou! Let's finish this!"

Bakugou roared and ran for Tokoyami, hand sparking. Fumikage ran as well, and the two clashed. At this point, both opponents moves had become slow and sluggish. Bakugou got his legs involved and started kicking at Tokoyami. He landed a hit right on his side, but Fumikage grabbed his leg, and mustered enough strength to through him near the edge. Bakugou stopped himself as he dragged his hand into the ground.

" _Tokoyami, I'm halfway!"_ Dark Shadow hollered.

" _Great, now on my mark!"_

Tokoyami charged for Bakugou using every last ounce of energy he had left. He threw a punch at Bakugou, and the blonde countered and landed an explosion right on Tokoyami's hand. Fumikage cringed in pain as he felt bones breaking, but he gripped Bakugou's hand nonetheless in an iron tight hold. Bakugou gasped as Tokoyami held his other hand back, and Dark Shadow covered it.

"IT'S OVER BAKUGOU!" Tokoyami shouted as he smashed the blonde right in the face, "SHADOW GAUNTLET!"

It was a direct hit. However, Bakugou didn't let up as he dug his feet into the ground, tightened his hand around Tokoyami's, and flung him out of the ring. It was a weak toss for him, but enough to seal a victory. Tokoyami rolled on the ground and held his bruised, battered hand.

Nobody could believe their eyes. For a second, it looked as if Tokoyami had the victory in the bag, but Bakugou pulled out a miraculous win. Aizawa blew his whistle and shouted.

"The fight is over," he held up a hand, "The winner is-

Aizawa paused as he looked at Bakugou for a moment. Blood gushed down the boys freshly broken nose. He had a glazed over look in his eyes. He collapsed to his knees and fell flat on the ground. Kirishima grabbed his hair with both hands.

"No way…" he whispered, and then spoke louder, "No way!"

"Bakugou…" Midoriya whispered.

"Bakugou!" Kirishima leaped out of the stands and ran over, kneeling next to him, and being careful not to touch his injured body, "Oi, you're ok, right? Oi!"

Tsuyu jumped after him, followed by Shouji, Midoriya, and Momo. Aizawa walked over and kneeled next to Bakugou. The boys eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. The others attended Tokoyami, who held his broken hand. Aizawa pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Yes, have a paramedic team out here with stretchers. No, nothing too serious, just training injuries. A student was knocked out. Yes...yes, I understand. I will inform Recovery Girl immediately."

Aizawa dialed another number as he kneeled next to Tokoyami, taking a look at his hand.

"I got a couple students for you to patch up," Aizawa said, "You still in the office? Mh hm. Mh hm. No, I didn't let things go too far. Yes, an unconscious boy with possibly a few broken bones, and a broken hand. No, it is not Midoriya. That won't be necessary I-huh? Yes...ok, I get it, I...yes I understand, just…*sigh* yes ma'am, I'll be there."

Aizawa put his phone away.

"Cranky old woman," he mumbled as he examined Tokoyami's hand, "We'll get you two fixed up in no time."

"That was amazing Tokoyami!" Midoriya grinned, "I can't believe it! You actually beat him!"

"I didn't win…" Tokoyami shut his eyes tight, trying to control his pain.

"What are you talking about?" Momo looked over to Bakugou, "You knocked him out cold."

"Weren't you guys paying any attention?" Tsuyu cut-in as she grabbed Fumikage's unbroken hand, and he gripped it tightly, "Bakugou got him out first. Tokoyami lost."

Tokoyami nodded as his arm continued to shake. He let out a scream and leaned up. Tsuyu got underneath one of his arms and slowly lifted him up.

"Hey now, you're not going anywhere," Aizawa said, "A paramedic team is on the way."

"I can...walk," Fumikage collapsed to his knees, and Tsuyu fell with him.

"Just wait," Aizawa ordered, "I don't want Recovery Girl any more angry at me."

The paramedic team came and got both students out of there in fifteen minutes. They met with Recovery Girl, who helped mend their broken bones and heal their bruises. Bakugou came to in less than thirty. Fumikage could hear him groaning in the bed next to him, and turned. The bird headed boy had bandages wrapped around his broken hand. Bakugou sat up and cringed as he held his casted arm.

"Fuck me," he mumbled as he looked down at it. He put a hand on the bandages on his nose as he looked around. His eyes drew on Fumikage, "You're here too, huh? So, what the hell happened? Did you win?"

"Actually, you did," Fumikage sat up, "You threw me out right before passing out."

Bakugou let out a sharp tsk as he laid back down.

"What a stupid fucking victory," he growled, "It was just a gut reaction. I didn't even think about it." there was a moment of silence before he spoke up, "That's it, I'm calling it now. That round doesn't count. We tied, got it?"

"Whatever you say," Fumikage laid back down, "Does that mean we're having a rematch?"

"Not today you fucking asshole," Bakugou shot up again, "Look at what you did to me!"

He cringed and held his arm again. Fumikage let out a small chuckle.

"Sorry," he closed his eyes, "I must have got carried away while I was kicking your ass."

"Fuck off dude," Bakugou laid down again, "Most of those hits were lucky."

They sat in awkward silence again until Bakugou groaned and sat up.

"Where the hell is the remote?" he asked, "let's turn the TV on."

Dark Shadow popped out of Tokoyami chest and grabbed the remote off a far desk. He brought it over to Bakugou.

"Here, you pick the channel." Tokoyami said.

The boy grabbed it without saying thanks. He flipped the device on and started browsing through channels.

"What do you wanna watch?" Bakugou asked, "An animal documentary? Something about birds?"

"Anything is fine," Tokoyami sighed as he sat up with a grunt, "If there's a horror movie, that'll work."

Bakugou flipper through for a while until he came across an older black and white Werewolf film. He set the remote down and laid back. They both watched without speaking to one another for about fifteen minutes.

"You've gotten a lot stronger," Bakugou didn't look at Tokoyami as he said it.

"Indeed," Tokoyami nodded without looking as well, "But not strong enough."

"You'll never be strong enough. If you were ever strong enough, that means you'd have nowhere else to grow, and it'd be lame and boring as fuck."

"That's a fair point."

After thirty seconds, Bakugou let out a sharp tsk.

"I never want to be strong enough," he growled, "I just wanna get stronger and stronger."

They watched the film for another thirty minutes before Recovery Girl came in. She smiled when she saw Bakugou up.

"Ah, good! You're awake," she smiled and stepped out of the way, "You two have visitors."

Midoriya, Tsuyu, and Kirishima came into the room.

"Kachan!" Midoriya smiled, "Wow, that's a lot of bandages. How do you feel?"

"Shut the hell up!" he shouted, "I don't need your damn sympathy!"

"He feels fine," Kirishima grinned brightly and walked over to him, "Man, that was one of your toughest fights yet dude! Tokoyami really gave you a run for your money!"

Bakugou huffed and looked away. Tsuyu walked up to Tokoyami with a bright smile.

"You did really well, ribbit."

"Thank you," Fumikage bowed his head.

"Hey, Tokoyami!" Kirishima slapped his shoulder, "that was one hell of a fight back there. Way to go dude! You lasted longer against Bakugou than any of us! Well...except _maybe_ Shoto."

"I was only doing my best,"

Midoriya walked over to him and pointed at his bandaged up hand.

"I guess we now have something in common, huh?" Midoriya laughed as he pointed to his own scarred hand.

Fumikage chuckled at that and nodded.

"Recovery Girl said if you're feeling good enough, you can leave," Tsuyu places a finger on her chin and looked at Bakugou, "he has to stay for a CAT Scan, ribbit."

"Eh? What for!?" Bakugou snarled, "I feel fucking great!"

"Don't argue," Recovery Girl scowled at him, "You were knocked unconscious. We need to make sure there was no severe head injury."

Bakugou growled, but resigned himself as he slumped into his bed. Recovery Girl walked over to Fumikage.

"Well dear, can you walk out of here ok?"

Fumikage looked at Bakugou for a second and blinked.

"Actually...I'm feeling a little groggy and weak from my last technique," he looked back at her with a smile, "I think I'll stay for a little longer."

Recovery Girl nodded, and started to usher the other students out.

"We'll have your CAT Scan done in less than an hour," she spoke to Bakugou, "I don't wanna hear any complaining about it, understood?"

"Whatever," Bakugou responded.

"Seya dude!" Kirishima waved.

The others waved as well, and Tokoyami waved back.

"What the hell was that?" Bakugou asked after the door closed.

"What was what?" Fumikage looked at him.

"Don't play stupid with me," Bakugou glared at him, "I know you can walk fine."

Fumikage said nothing as he watched the television.

"What, are you taking pity on me or something?" Bakugou huffed as his eyes turned to the TV, "I don't need your fucking company."

"I wanted to ask you something."

Bakugou looked back at him.

"During our fight," fumikage's eyes met his, "Were you ever going easy on me?"

"Huh!?" Bakugou snarled, "Of course not! What the fuck gave you that idea!?"

"Nothing, just making sure," Fumikage turned away.

"And let's get something else straight birdhead," Bakugou growled, "Next time you and I fight, I'm gonna beat your ass so hard, you'll never want to challenge me again, got it!?"

"Sure thing," Tokoyami nodded, "now, can you please change the channel? This film is a little boring."

Bakugou flipped through until they came on an action film. He put the remote down and leaned back on his pillow. They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the time.

…

A few days later, Tokoyami and Bakugou were back to 100% thanks to Recovery Girls therapy. Fumikage was approached by almost every student in class 1-A about the battle. Most people congratulated him. Others had questions about his bizarre new technique that he used. Tokoyami appreciated their compliments, but after a while, it became tiring, and he was grateful when it died down.

Tokoyami was greeted by his friends when he returned to practice after his speedy recovery. He was just about to get started with training when he heard a voice call out to him.

"Oi, birdhead!"

Fumikage looked behind and saw Bakugou approaching him. Midoriya and Tsuyu both looked at each other with uncertainty. Izuku knew the blonde well enough, and he knew he could be extremely unpredictable. He waited for a fight to break out.

"Is there something you need, Bakugou?" Tokoyami asked.

"Come practice with Kirishima and I," Bakugou pointed a thumb over his shoulder, "I want someone else strong enough to fight me head on."

Fumikage flinched at that. He looked back at the others for confirmation. Midoriya simply shrugged and smiled.

"Sure, go ahead!" he said, "Tsuyu and I can train alone."

Tokoyami hesitated for a moment before heading with Bakugou. The blonde didn't look at him as they walked away. Fumikage smiled to himself and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"What is it?" Bakugou raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing," Fumikage looked up into the clouds, "I'm just content right now."

Bakugou huffed and looked back. They met up with Kirishima, and began their training.

 **THE END**


End file.
